


Soul Doll

by Dawnrider



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ball jointed doll, F/M, Lemon, Magical Healing Cock, Porn With Plot, Post Societal Collapse, Reincarnation, Romance, Soul transfer, Steam Punk (less punk)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2020-12-13 22:03:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21004868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnrider/pseuds/Dawnrider
Summary: Post Society Collapse AU - Kagome awakens to a nightmare.  She can't move, she can't breathe and everything looks and feels wrong.  Reincarnated as a living doll, Kagome must find a way to escape this place she has woken in, the body which is not her own. Best NSFW Fanfiction winner for 1st quarter 2020 Feudal Connection awards.





	1. Awakened

Everything felt wrong. Her body stiff and uncoordinated, not moving to her commands. She couldn't even open her eyes. Kagome tried to take a deep breath and felt as though her chest was compressed to the point of pain. But there was no pain. She felt almost nothing, as though she were sensing everything through a thick membrane. When she finally got her eyes to respond to her request to open, Kagome realized that not only did everything feel wrong, it looked wrong too. Strange machines surrounded her, large wheels and turning cogs she couldn't even fathom the use of, and great belches of steam pouring around the room. It was dimly lit, faint electric bulbs fluttering in and out of sight behind the fog left by the steam.

There was a figure in the darkness near some sort of control panel, muttering to itself. Kagome tried to open her mouth to speak but found her lips firmly closed against her wishes. The figure turned and she was glad she hadn't been able to speak. “Hello Lovely,” the voice rasped at her. Her eyes widened in fear, the first thing she'd been able to do without concentrated effort. “Oh, the lord will be very pleased with you. Your soul is so much stronger than the others.”

_ My soul? The lord? What is he talking about? _ Kagome had the sudden fear that the people who believed in heaven had it all wrong. The figure, tall and lanky, loomed over her on the table on which she lay. This couldn't be St. Peter. There was nothing remotely saintly about him. Finally fighting through the fuzziness her nerves seemed to be experiencing, Kagome realized in panic that she was naked and that her body seemed all wrong. Joints practically exposed, but she didn't seem to have been harmed, skin too smooth to look real.  _ Oh my god, this isn't right! I look like a mannequin... a doll! _ Trying again to move something, anything, Kagome made a soft sound of distress. The man - she finally realized he was, in fact, a man - grinned horribly at her.

“Hush now, Lovely. You'll regain your motor functions in time. As your soul becomes used to your new body, it will begin to respond accordingly.” His eyes traced over her, lazily pleased, and Kagome felt like screaming from the terror and embarrassment building in her. Why couldn't she remember anything after the car... The accident. She must have... “Yes, there. I always recognize that look. You died. I can't say for sure when, the machine's not that precise. I can only guess it was about two hundred and fifty years ago. Yes, that's the closest I can guess given the readings. But your spirit was so much stronger than we expected.” He nodded almost to himself, clearly proud of what seemed to be some sort of accomplishment for him. “Hmm, yes, we thought you were only a few days dead when we got a handle on you. To think! Over two and a half centuries ago you were alive. How amazing your soul must have been then. That you have not been reincarnated before now is odd.” His wispy light hair practically quivered atop his head in his excitement.

Kagome struggled with the fact that despite wanting to cry, she couldn't. “Where...” she finally managed to croak out.

“Oh! How delightful! Speaking already. You are quite amazing.” His long pale fingers traced over the perfectly sculpted skin of her breast and Kagome blinked at the lack of the shudder that wanted to course through her body. “This is Girasol. I think it would have been... Hmm yes, it would have been Madrid in your time.”  _ Spain? _ Why was the world so different? “Now, let's get you moving and check all your joints. Can't have you clumsy when the lord decides to have you, can we?” Kagome didn't even want to think about what that meant. The sooner she was mobile on her own, the sooner she could try to get away from this foul man. Keeping her face neutral was easy at this point. Without concentration she could barely wiggle her toes, so not displaying emotion as the man helped her sit up and swing her legs over the edge of the table was a breeze.

Now able to take account of her situation, Kagome was better equipped to take note of herself. She could already tell she was somewhat taller than she ever recalled being. Adult sized in all the appropriate places. She was only nineteen in her own memory, but the doll body she now inhabited was built for a very perfectly proportioned young woman, maybe twenty-five if she were any judge. What looked like a tattoo was painted into the pristine flesh of her hip. She was unable to read the language written there but it seemed familiar somehow, as if she had read it a long time ago and just couldn't remember.

“Hm, yes, very good. I am Liam,” he said by way of introduction. “I believe the lord had hoped to call you Kikyo, but you seem strong. Do you remember your name?”

“Kagome,” she whispered.

“Ah, very good indeed! Kagome. I like that much better.” He bit his lip a moment. “Don't tell the lord I said so. He likes naming all his Dolls himself. More control over them that way.” Kagome stored the piece of information away for later use but nodded jerkily to give Liam a false sense of calm. “Now then, left toes. Good, now the right.” This process went on with all her joints until he was sure she could move them all on her own. Kagome felt empty at her inability to cry. This disgusting man was touching her all over, even checking the opening they had made in her body for the lord to “enjoy himself” in, and she couldn't defend herself. She could barely feel it, which was a small consolation, but that didn't mean she didn't know it was happening.

“Clothes?” she asked hopefully when he was done with his inspection.

“Yes, yes of course. The seamstress brought down a few things for when you awoke and the rest will be in your room.” Kagome nodded, greedily clutching the simple chemise to her when he finally handed her something.  _ A room? As in a room of my own? _ Why would the lord give her a space that belonged just to her when he clearly intended to use her like a sex toy and a servant? Kagome was still foggy on the details, but she wasn't stupid. She wasn't a person here, in this place, this time. She was a thing, like a robot but with a real soul inside and made of clay.  _ A golem, like the old stories _ , she thought painfully. She'd been studying ancient cultures in school just before the accident. She remembered reading a passage from old scripture about figures made of clay mud and animated to help humans. While similar in basic structure, her situation was much different in practice. She had been a person, a live human being and had been trapped in this body against her will.

Trying to gain as much knowledge as possible so that it might be useful to her later, Kagome listened as Liam explained that the city had been destroyed at some point and when rebuilt, resembled a sunflower, thus the name. Languages seemed to have blurred together into a standard which was based on English. Even in her own time English had been gaining strength as the “language of business” so it was unsurprising to know. Luckily, from her studies on ancient cultures, she had some very rudimentary knowledge of a few other languages and slightly more useful knowledge in others. It made her feel less stupid in this completely degrading and confusing situation.

The government seemed to have returned to some sort of feudal system, lines between countries faded and uncertain. Lords oversaw however much land they could protect, often at the expense of their serfs. Not terribly surprising. Feudal era people hadn't had it much better. Some various forms of technology had survived the loss of petroleum, steam power clearly having replaced much of what she could remember being fuel operated. “You must have been educated in your lifetime. Yes, you went to school. I had read somewhere that women once went to school and got jobs like men did. How fascinating.” Kagome's neutral expression belied the fierce irritation his comment brought on. She'd never thought she'd see the day that women were shoved back into the dark ages.  _ I didn't live to see it. Not truly. Even if I were something more than a wind up Doll, I'd be trapped under some man's thumb _ . Not the ideal situation, but she had no control. At least not yet.

Her room was small, which wasn't unexpected, but it was certainly well designed. The bed was the clear focus of the space. Sturdy and made of a polished wood, the bed frame took up a large portion of the room. The mattress had been as comfortable as one could expect, not that she had felt it, and the sheets thin. Again, she felt almost nothing, so whether she was cold through the night or not was irrelevant. More than likely the bed itself and the bedclothes were for the lord's comfort, not her own. There was a large closet set in the wall beside the window, open for her to peruse. At first glance Kagome could see that the lord dressed his Dolls like queens. Long gowns made of silks and soft fabrics lined the walls. There were several corsets in varying colors carefully placed in a chest in the closet and delicate little shoes. All of them would fit perfectly, she was sure.

The lord, Naraku, had come by the night before after she had been settled into her room. He was attractive, a tall built figure with long wavy dark hair and sharp features. The thing that caught Kagome's attention was the almost ruby color of his eyes. They radiated a sinister light that would have made her squirm were she capable of the movement. “Ah, even more lovely than Liam told me.” He came toward her, savagely gripping her chin to hold her face up to the light. Not even sure herself what she looked like, she could only brace for whatever he planned to do. “And strong. So much stronger than the others. My lovely Kikyo.”

“Kagome,” she'd responded automatically in a whisper. He looked puzzled for a moment. “My name is Kagome.”

Dark brows lifting in bemused surprise, Naraku narrowed his gaze. “So you remember your name. How strange.” His grip loosened from her face but his eyes remained locked on hers. He took a step forward, forcing her to retreat as he cornered her against the bed. A knee-jerk reaction she would have never thought she was capable of threw her arms out, pushing him back. “You refuse your lord?” he questioned her, stunned.

“I... I didn't ask for this,” she told him in a soft voice. “I didn't ask to be brought here. I didn't ask to become a... a living child's plaything.” She straightened her shoulders. “Or your personal sex toy.” His eyes sharpened at her before a sly grin lit his mouth.

“Defiance. That is certainly a characteristic none of the others have displayed. How intriguing. You should be interesting to break, Kagome.” He'd left her with that terrifying thought. She hadn't been able to sleep after he left, and for a while she was sure that she couldn't sleep either.  _ Is there anything normal about this body? _ Eventually, sometime shortly before dawn, she had fallen asleep only to wake around midday. She explored her room a little more, since it was made obvious by the locked door that she wasn't allowed to leave. It was a cage, not hers at all. One in a series of cubbies in a curio cabinet.

At the end of the closet, the only interesting feature of her room, was a mirror. It was covered by a thin veil of cloth, but Kagome could vaguely see herself through it.  _ Do I even want to know what this face looks like? _ She wasn't so sure. She had a feeling that she would look nothing like herself as she remembered herself to be. The shock came when it was clear that she'd been wrong. “The face is left mostly blank while the soul is entering,” came a voice from behind her. A young woman in an elaborate kimono came up behind her, her face impassive. “Trust me, pretty much all the Dolls are surprised when their own face is staring back at them. Though, that’s if they even remember what they looked like before. You were expecting something else?” Kagome turned back to the mirror. The main difference she saw in her reflection was that her eyes were an unearthly blue. They were supposed to be brown. “Kagura, in case you're aware enough to ask.” The woman's voice sounded irritated.

“Kagura. Nice to meet you.” Kagome turned and stuck out her hand awkwardly. Kagura stared first at her hand and then at her. She snorted and Kagome realized that the greeting may not be in use anymore. Finally Kagura took her hand and shook it softly. “I'm Kagome.”

“Kagome, huh? I'd heard you remembered your own name, but I didn't believe it.” The woman gave a shrug and moved around her to flick through the closet. She plucked up a deep green gown with silver accents and shook it out. “Here. Lord Naraku has guests this week. Trade discussions and things,” she explained. She helped Kagome slip into the gown and then selected a silver boned corset with delicate lace. Kagome saw Kagura tighten it in the mirror and waited for it to restrict her breathing... until she remembered she didn't actually breathe.

“Will I be expected to... entertain the guests as well?” Kagura glanced up from where she was leaning over the shoes.

“That depends on the kind of mood his lordship is in. If he's feeling possessive of you, like he often is with the new ones, he will keep you by his side all night.” Kagome wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a relief or not. “More than likely he'll flaunt you in the hanyou's face. He likes to mock the dog general's son more than anyone,” her tone was conspiratorial. Unsure why, Kagome found herself whispering too.

“Why would this man be upset by my appearance?”

Kagura grinned slightly. “Less your appearance and more the strength of your soul. Naraku doesn't know as much as he thinks he does about you Dolls. Inuyasha, on the other hand, has made a study of it. Naraku is too wrapped up in the prestige of having so many, he doesn't even know that anyone could possibly want the dolls for any other reason.”

Hoping to get more out of the dresser, Kagome opened her mouth to ask another question, but snapped it shut when a single sharp rap was heard on the door. “His lordship is expecting the new doll soon.” The butler's voice came through the door, a dull monotone.

“I have to get her hair finished before I send her out,” Kagura called, glancing at Kagome in the mirror. “Ten more minutes.” The butler made no other sound, apparently leaving to attend to something else. “The Puppy gets riled up at the injustice of the Dolls' situation,” Kagura continued, a tiny edge to her voice conveying a tinge of sympathy. “Naraku likes to rub his nose in it a little.” She glanced around again. “He likes to prove himself,” she whispered with an eye roll, “they're both hanyou, and Naraku wants everyone to know he's more powerful than the Puppy, who was born a hanyou.” Kagome tilted her head slightly.

“Naraku was not born a hanyou?”

Kagura shook her head, then motioned for silence and made it clear they shouldn't talk about it anymore. “There, all done. Go on then, his lordship will be waiting for you in the dining room.” She fluffed Kagome's dress once as she stood and admired her own handiwork. “Try not to have too much fun,” she said with a sly grin and hurried off, presumably to ready any other Dolls the lord had summoned for the evening.

~~~~~~~~~~

The tragedy of the woman standing beside his host made him want to throw up. She was the most pristine and perfect representation of the female form he had ever seen, but it was more than that. He had seen plenty of Soul Dolls in his travels, including visits to the lord's home. The man was both vain and cruel, keeping these souls trapped in dolls designed to serve him any way he could imagine. This one... this one was different. Something about her made it impossible for him to turn his eyes away. Her soul was so  _ compelling _ . “Like a moth to a flame” came to mind. Inuyasha blinked, realizing that Naraku was expecting him to respond to something. “What was that?”

“I see you cannot pry your attention away from my newest addition,” the lord purred. Inuyasha fought an unexpected snarl when Naraku caressed the girl's hip just below the silver corset she was wearing. She barely flinched, but he did see the reaction. Most of the Dolls' souls were too weak to muster up much emotion, certainly after spending a few weeks in the lord's home. This one was either very, very fresh or – as his gut seemed to be telling him – she was the strongest captured soul he'd ever even heard of. “She is particularly fascinating, is she not? She remembers her own name, rejecting the one I tried to give her. Kagome, darling, say hello to Lord Inuyasha, the Great Dog General's younger son.” Inuyasha didn't miss the snide tone he used when speaking of his title and his father. He ignored it in favor of finally being able to hear this beautiful woman's voice.

“Hello,” she whispered. He couldn't tell if it was fear, reluctant obedience, or a similar feeling of fascination that stole the strength from her voice, but the emotion in her tone was something most other Soul Dolls lacked. Her gaze flicked to the lord seated beside her and Inuyasha definitely didn't miss the hatred in her eyes. “Welcome to Lord Naraku's home.” He nodded in greeting, closing his eyes for only the briefest moment to try and restore some kind of composure. He still had to make it through trade negotiations with Naraku before he could leave. A process that usually took days with his brother in the lead, but would likely take him almost the whole week. His father knew he was a hard-nosed negotiator and that he didn't like Naraku in the least. Dealing with him was an unfortunately necessary evil. Seeing this delicate creature in his clutches made his blood boil and Inuyasha felt relief that he didn't have to fake pleasantries with the lord too much. Naraku knew well that he was no favorite.

“Sit down Kagome, dear. I would have you eat with us.” Inuyasha's sharp eyes caught the irritation in her gaze as she did as told. She hated the position she was in and if his nose was correct, Naraku hadn't taken pleasure in her yet. Was she keeping him at bay somehow? Was that the reason for the show now, proof of his power over her? Proof of his possession? Inuyasha tried not to read too much into it, not wanting to get caught up in one of Naraku's games. “She just awoke yesterday morning and already she functions as well as a three-day-old Doll,” Naraku said, his tone pleased.

“Impressive,” Inuyasha grunted in a ploy to seem unimpressed. From then on he attempted to avoid letting his gaze linger on her too long. He didn't want Naraku teasing him any further. Conversation flowed around him and he tried to pick out any information that may be of use to him. Unfortunately most of the other guests were discussing the latest scandal or newest fashion trend. It sickened him how trivial these people's lives were. Didn't they know that the things they did, the resources they wasted, affected the people they were supposed to be protecting?

The rest of the evening continued to both bore and irritate him beyond reason, but he remembered to keep his temper in check. Getting kicked out of Naraku's home before he'd even begun any sort of negotiations would be both bad for business and would make his father upset. Not that the old man would blame him for his irritation, just for his inability to hold it in check. “Your brother, he is still unattached?” Inuyasha stared blankly at the woman beside him, not quite believing her audacity. She was the daughter of a lesser lord - not that Inuyasha cared about all that status nonsense - and she was asking him if his older half brother was single? Who thought that was appropriate dinner conversation?

“Yes,” he got out through a grimace of a smile. “Though he is not looking for a Mate at the moment.” Her dull blue eyes reflected her disappointment. Likely she was hoping to find a way out from under her father's roof. He couldn't blame her for that exactly. Women had slowly lost all independence as the world had lost its resources, petroleum's disappearance causing the most dramatic change. Wars over the remaining barrels of crude oil decimated a large part of the population, leaving the whole planet with less than six-hundred million people. When the birth rate had started to decline, extremists had blamed women working for the decrease. Keeping women safe and under the control of their families became a high priority for most men and there was little the female half of the population could do about it. Earlier on, many had fought back, even going so far as to kill themselves to maintain their freedom. Eventually even those with strong objections to the confinement had to relent. The population of the planet would die out if there were no women to give life.

As the human population had been dealing with these issues, and destroying the planet while they went about it, the youkai population had come out of the woodwork. Having hidden themselves in the wilderness of Earth as well as in among the humans, they decided that enough was enough. Many of the older, stronger youkai chose to take over small countries, protecting them from the damage they were doing to themselves and the threat from others. Surprisingly, many of the humans took to the new leadership gratefully. Someone was trying to fix things instead of letting it all fall apart and simply taking the spoils when it was all over. Inuyasha's father had been one such youkai and he had held onto his domain for almost a century.

In the past, there were more youkai who were as bad (if not worse) than the human leaders, but they often fell to others who saw no point in hoarding resources for themselves. What good would that stockpile of ore do you if your entire domain collapsed and your people died or left? There would be no one to shape and process the ore, no one to farm the fields, no one to keep the water treatment plants going. Inuyasha’s father had incidentally expanded his territory by taking down several such youkai. He had gained many loyal human and youkai under his leadership due to his consistent efforts to protect what land and people he could. Inuyasha had inherited his father’s desire to protect the people who relied on them, only fueled by his human mother’s compassion and love.

The dinner ended quietly enough, though Naraku made a point of parading Kagome across the room to show off her clothes and how smoothly she walked compared to the stilted gait of most other Dolls. Inuyasha felt his mood darken, but slunk out of the room to keep from saying or doing something he would get himself in trouble for. He missed the shining blue eyes that sought him out, losing some of their sparkle when they noticed he was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was inspired by the feeling I get looking at some of the amazing Ball Jointed Dolls out there that give me this haunting thought that they are a trapped soul in this extraordinarily life-like, created body. It is also a "flipped script" on the "Kikyo is a clay doll" concept. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter!


	2. Oranges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome and Inuyasha get an opportunity to speak for the first time. Inuyasha makes a bid to get her out from under Naraku's thumb.

He hadn't meant to corner her in the greenhouse, the surprised look on his face unmistakable. In all honesty she wasn't upset about it. “Lord Inuyasha,” she greeted him with a stiff curtsey. He glanced around at all the greenery before returning his gaze to her. Kagome felt the full weight of his golden eyes on her like a physical touch.

This man, this half-demon, was the most amazing being she had ever seen in her life. If anyone had asked her if she thought youkai were real in her previous life, the answer would have come in the form of hysterical laughter. Kagome certainly wasn’t laughing now. Hair that draped down his back in a silver wave, eyes the color of the sun near the horizon, tall and lean with an air of power about him. The slightly more animal features, the ears atop his head, the fangs, the claws, were no less enchanting. Kagome knew she would be holding her breath if she could as he seemed to analyze her in much the same way. 

Suddenly, he turned to find the way out, a soft apology leaving him. 

“Don't go,” she whispered, fighting the urge to reach out to him.

He paused. “Naraku wouldn't be happy to know you were alone with me.” She couldn't tell by his tone if he was implying that he wasn't either or if he was trying to warn her.

Kagome’s eyes flicked to the doorway. “Would you tell him?”

His mouth kicked up in a tiny grin. “No. I wouldn't want to get you in trouble is all.”

Kagome felt her own mouth curl in a smile. “Let me worry about that.” She stepped between two orange trees, taking a little distance from between them. He stood near the door, only another few flowering trees between them. His attire made him look regal and she smiled at the way he tugged at it uncomfortably. He wasn't a dressy kind of guy. If she had any choice she wouldn't be wearing the long yellow silk gown with the purple corset over the top. Since her body was perfectly molded, the corset was only for the look of the outfit. They weren’t colors she would choose, nor was the outfit something she wanted to wear. But Kagura came in to dress her for all occasions, sticking strictly to the lord's wishes despite Kagome's protests. “Do you like the greenhouse?” He gave a small nod, watching her carefully as she stepped closer still, ears twisting toward her. “It is... calming. Everything is so different for me. This reminds me of...”

“You remember your own life?” he interrupted, startling her. Kagome gave him a sad smile, nodding. Inuyasha took several steps in her direction. “None of the others...” He seemed to try to organize his thoughts. “What happened to you? When were you first alive?” His curiosity made his eyes glow, his ears twitching on top of his head. She felt entranced, almost hypnotized by the depth of his eyes. The force of Inuyasha’s full attention gave her the sensation of her body vibrating, as if her very soul trembled in anticipation. Kagome was drawn to him in a way that was foreign but all too welcome.

“According to Liam, the lord's scientist, about two hundred and fifty years ago. The last thing I remember was the car crash. I guess I didn’t make it.” Inuyasha's sympathy was displayed evenly with fascination in his eyes. “I don't remember feeling pain. I wish I did so it felt more final.”

“You miss your life?” he asked quietly, stepping closer. Only a sapling cherry tree remained between them. “Did you have a family? Children? A-A husband?”

Kagome fought not to display her surprise at his questions. Was he simply curious or did she detect jealousy in his tone? “No, I'm only... was only nineteen. I was in college at the time. My grandfather, mother and brother lived far away from where I went to school.” The relief she'd seen in the loosening of his shoulders was replaced by sympathetic grief when she explained that she hadn't gotten to say goodbye to her family. Closing her eyes, she tried to compose herself. She physically couldn't cry and her body was incapable of actually feeling grief, but her soul felt it terribly. It had been a couple of days since she had spoken to her family before the accident. They were all so busy and she had been preparing for winter finals and then taking her tests. She'd tagged along with Yuka to take Eri to the airport and they had been sideswiped by a semi-trailer that couldn't see them. Then she remembered nothing until waking up on the table in Liam's lab. A Soul Doll.

“You were never reincarnated.” It wasn't a question and Kagome wondered how he knew. She turned questioning eyes his way to find him much closer than she anticipated. “I have never heard of a soul remembering their life before. Their face, maybe, the moment before death, but never their whole life. It's also very uncommon for a soul to be so old and not have been reincarnated several times before collection.” Kagome nodded. She was slightly surprised by his depth of knowledge. “There is a monk who studies the Soul Dolls and the texts that were written when the practice started. Some of them talk about the possibility of making the body real if the soul’s bond is strong enough,” he breathed, excitement coloring his tone. Kagome knew she would have gasped for breath herself if her body were capable of it. “It might be worth a try.”

“How is it done? What do I have to do?” she asked him eagerly, delicately sculpted fingers coming up to grip the front of his overcoat. He sucked in a breath, surprised golden eyes glancing down at her tiny hand in his clothes. “Sorry,” she murmured, moving to pull away. Inuyasha's hand came up to grip hers to his chest, keeping her close. A shimmer of heat tickled her through their contact. Apparently he felt it too because he looked down at their hands before they locked eyes.

“You felt warm for a moment,” he whispered.

“I haven't felt anything more than pressure since I woke up. That was different,” she affirmed.

About to say something more, they snapped apart when a throat was cleared behind them. A servant stood in the door, pretending not to have seen them so close to one another. “My Lord requests your presence for the evening meal, Lord Inuyasha.” While she was not directly invited, it was implied by a glance in her direction that Kagome was required to be present as well.

“I will join him shortly,” Inuyasha bit out, turning back to Kagome. “Go on ahead. I have business to attend to first.” Reluctantly, Kagome left him, following the servant in silence. Inuyasha watched her go before making his way to his room. A box was dug from under his mattress, checked for any tampering and then opened on the bed. Inuyasha imbued it with a tiny bit of his youki to activate it. “Pop.”

“Inuyasha. What is it? Has something gone wrong with the negotiations?” The older youkai started to grumble about how he never should have allowed his youngest son to go on a trade endeavor on his own.

“Thanks for the confidence, Pop,” Inuyasha interrupted him saltily. “This isn't about the trade shit. I've found something far more interesting.” The inuhanyou explained about Kagome to his father, trying to express to him how and why she was so different. Toga listened carefully, asking questions here and there, but mostly just humming that he was listening. “I need to get her out of here. Naraku hasn't broken her yet, but he's definitely got his eye on her. He knows she's different too.”

“Concede the extra shipment protection he's been asking for in return for the girl. If that isn't enough, tell him he can have the box of scotch. I've been holding onto it too long.” Inuyasha nodded. They were decent bargaining tools, he could only hope they'd be enough.

Dinner was as bad as Inuyasha had expected. The food was amazing, there was no denying that, but the company was certainly lacking. He was placed several chairs down from Kagome, not close enough to even catch her eye. Naraku continued to make small talk with his guests, the noble lady from a northern province particularly attracting his attention. Inuyasha wished there was some way to get closer to Kagome so he could tell her his plan to get her out. But seeing how closely Naraku was watching her in subtle glances and touches, touches that made him force down a snarl, he knew that it was highly unlikely that he'd be able to talk to her without drawing the lord's attention.

After dinner, several of the other Dolls were brought out to entertain guests. Inuyasha saw only one male Doll among them – they were very rare - and noticed he had been directed toward the lady Naraku had seemed so interested in earlier. The rest of the Dolls, except for Kagome, danced in very little clothing, imitating an ancient dance form that had spread throughout the world at one point. Now most women were kept almost under lock and key if they didn't have power or money of their own. The Soul Dolls were just a further degraded example of this idea. Their hips swirled and swayed, twitched and taunted the guests, bells at their ankles and wrists with swaths of nearly transparent cloth barely covering them. Inuyasha wasn't interested in any of it and tried to inch his way closer to Kagome where she sat rigidly watching the performance. “They're belly dancing dolls,” she whispered when he got close enough. He didn't realize she knew he was there, but he took it in stride.

“Belly dancing? Their hips are doing the most work.”

Kagome let out a light tinkle of a laugh. “But that's what it is. I took a belly dancing class at school when...” She paused, her large blue eyes surveying the crowd in the room. “I think it's called that because their stomachs are usually bared and if they were real women, most of the work comes from the stomach muscles. It takes a lot of strength and flexibility to do it properly.” She ducked her head slightly and Inuyasha swore she would have blushed if she were capable. “I wasn't very good at it then. I don't know how they can do it now.”

“The joints are more flexible than they look. It's really good craftsmanship,” he conceded. He waited until the young lord from another coastal country like his own moved away to enjoy more refreshments. “I'm going to make a trade for you. You don't belong here,” he murmured to her, trying not to get too close. If anyone noticed how close they were now, they didn't make any mention. That didn't mean they wouldn't notice if he leaned over to gently whisper in her ear, so close to the delicate column of her neck... Inuyasha cleared his throat softly. “If that doesn't work, I'll steal you out of here if I have to.” Kagome made no motion to indicate she'd heard him but he knew she had.

“And where would you take me?”

“Home. My father's fortress is impenetrable. That bastard Naraku would never touch you again,” he hissed, tossing a glare in the lord’s direction. He seemed unaware of their conversation, his attention focused on the Dolls that gyrated and shook in front of him. His dark eyes were greedy as he took them in, a smirk of satisfaction on his lips. Inuyasha turned away and moved as if he were adjusting his clothing. “Just be ready for me to get you out of here, no matter when or how.”

“I'm trusting you.”

A flutter of excitement took off in his chest. “Good.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“What do you mean it's not for sale?” Inuyasha growled not just in irritation over Naraku's stubborn refusal, but also at the idea of referring to Kagome as “it.” She wasn't a thing, she was a real soul locked in a body that she didn't belong in. He couldn't, however, let Naraku know that his interest was more than passing. “The offer I've made you is more than generous,” he said, trying to sound as calm and collected as possible.

“I don't disagree. The extra trade route protection is a very generous offer indeed. However, the Soul Doll is not for sale. Kagome is an excellent addition to my collection and I have no intention of parting with her.” Naraku sat back in his chair, a smug look on his face. He knew that Inuyasha wanted her but he didn't know why. Trying to get him to reveal it was going to prove more difficult than the oily lord knew. “She is perfectly sculpted and her soul is the strongest we have ever collected. I am intrigued to see how long she lasts.” Inuyasha had to keep from leaping over the table in a rage to strangle the man in front of him. He didn't need to be reminded that most souls only remained in the doll bodies for a few months, especially when the Dolls were being used the way Naraku used them. Their already weak souls fled the abuse and eventually the body in which they resided.

“A full bottle of scotch then. To add to your collection,” Inuyasha threw out as a teaser. Naraku's eyes widened almost imperceptibly and he sat up a little straighter. Inuyasha swallowed a smirk. Now he had the bastard's attention. They knew the lord's affinity for the liquor and had made it a goal to attain as much as they could to sweeten deals with him.

Naraku mused over the offer, but his cool look returned. “Still not worth that soul.”

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. At least they were getting somewhere. “Two then.” That definitely caught the lord's interest. Inuyasha was willing to go up to all six bottles in the box if he had to. He knew once his father met Kagome, he would understand and would offer even more to get her away from this slimy snake’s hands.

Naraku's face displayed that he was deliberating the idea. He did love scotch, and having two bottles to add to his private collection would certainly be a good thing. But giving up Kagome meant losing the most perfect Soul Doll Liam had ever created and the possibility of finding out more about the past. They had thought it possible to study more about her, learn how to create more like her, but there didn't seem to be anything different about her creation compared to any of the others, just her soul. They couldn't do anything but observe her, which didn't do him much good. “The extra trade details and the two bottles of scotch?” he wondered aloud. The dog general's half-breed son nodded. 

Naraku knew that the Doll meant more to Inuyasha than he was trying to let on, but he couldn't figure out why. She was perfectly sculpted, as he'd said, but so were several of the others. Her soul was stronger than any other they had encountered, but it made her damn near impossible to control and unwilling to follow his commands. As long as she saw no harm in it, she'd do it, but she wouldn't let him near her and that was his usual purpose for his Dolls. His pleasure. What good was she to him, really, if he couldn't take from her the one thing he had her created for?

He could, of course, take what he wanted regardless of what she did, but that would mean she would have to have what he was looking for in the first place. So far, he saw no signs of it. There was also the possibility that it was her soul itself that was the key.  _ An interesting prospect for research... _ “I've got one more bottle to offer,” Inuyasha said, interrupting his musing. Naraku grinned.

“You have yourself a deal.”

Inuyasha had wanted to get her out of there that very day, but his negotiations with Naraku had required more time than that. After striking a deal for Kagome, he had been sent on his way to request the promised bottles of scotch and impart to his father the agreement over the route protection. Inuyasha went back to his room to contact Toga and tell him what had happened. “Three bottles? Not bad son. We had six to give.”

“I know, and I was ready to give him all of it.”

“This girl's that important to you?” Inuyasha scoffed, giving his father a look that made his feelings clear. “I look forward to meeting her. Your brother is preparing to leave with this month's trade caravan. I'll have him add the scotch as well. They should be there in a few days.”

“The sooner the better, Pop. I hate this place.”

“I don't blame you. Just be patient.” Father and son shared a look over such pointless advice. Inuyasha was notorious for his impatience. “Try.”

“Keh.”

His ruby eyes watched her try to look nonchalant over the steeple of his fingers. His hands hid his sly grin. “The older one will be here in a few days. He has taken a shine to you.” Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly, such that only someone who knew her well would notice it. “Don’t let that go to waste,” he said finally, sitting back to observe as she processed what he meant. Just because she was youkai didn’t mean she was free from the restraints all females bore. She was his to do with as he pleased, but sometimes she needed the reminder. His fingers twirled minutely until the string of webbing became visible. Naraku caught hold of it and tugged just enough to get her attention. Her dark red eyes widened and her delicate hand went to her chest. “Do not disappoint me, Kagura.”

The wind youkai bowed her head slightly in acquiescence and left.

Naraku turned to look out the window, the wide view of his land making the curve of his lips turn down. It was quite large, his territory. A combination of crushing lesser youkai and trade deals had garnered him his current level of prestige. Still, there were those like the dog general and his sons who looked down on him. Those who looked down their noses at him because he was hanyou. “That mutt is no better than they think I am. Uncouth,” he growled, allowing himself the moment of outward rage. He spent all this time wining and dining lords and ladies, gifting them time with his precious Dolls, schmoozing and brown-nosing. What good did it do him? They all still looked up to the dog family, the kitsunes in the next territory over not far behind. “All so benevolent,” he sneered.

Naraku was done playing nice. He was going to get what he wanted, by force.

If you haven't yet, [check out ](https://thunderpot.tumblr.com/post/188357195188/while-not-a-scene-from-it-this-one-was-tots)the Doll!Kagome art that @Thunderpot painted which is stunning!


	3. Impatience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Impatient to find out more about Kagome, Inuyasha barely holds onto his civility. Both he and Kagome are anxious to leave.
> 
> NSFW chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW content this chapter. Remember, "porn with plot" is one of the tags on this story for a reason.

Inuyasha tapped his foot impatiently at the end of the evening meal. He was so tired of all this socializing. By nature, he was a private person - maybe only surpassed by his brother - and all this “togetherness” was grating his last nerve. It didn’t help that he was itching to tell Kagome that he’d been able to broker a deal for her freedom. Or that he was just itching to be in her presence.

Yet again, Naraku had her at his hip, forcing her to play nice with him and other guests. Naraku was really milking the fact that, until he received the goods they had agreed on, Kagome belonged to him. Inuyasha spent most of dinner trying to keep an intense scowl off of his face. It would only fuel the bastard’s delight in rubbing it in.

Since that brief moment of touching in the greenhouse, he had been feeling strange. Mildly itchy, like his youki was crawling under his skin. Hot flashes caused him to break out in a sweat for no apparent reason. His heart kept beating irregularly, sometimes feeling as though it was trying to leave his chest and go elsewhere. It was a bit disturbing, to be honest. He almost wondered if he was getting sick, then dismissed it entirely. He’d never been actually sick in his entire life. Why now?

Golden eyes were drawn to the lithe figure in lavender and pale blue, sitting in stiff silence beside the man who claimed ownership over her existence. Inuyasha could tell by her posture and her face that she was listening only enough to participate in the conversation as required of her and no more. Her eyes made contact with his and his heart did a funny flip flop.  ** _There it was again. Does… does it have to do with her? _ ** he wondered, even as the barest hint of a smile on her lips made his heart respond. A smile just for him. As soon as she returned her attention to the conversation happening beside her, blankness overtook her face. He needed to investigate the sensation further, determine if it really was from interacting with Kagome. Maybe it wouldn’t be the best idea to be near her when he was feeling more bizzare with each successive encounter with her.

~~~~~~~~~~

Finding his way through Naraku’s massive home was more challenging than he had thought it would be. The side of the house where the Dolls were all kept was a maze on the inside and a nearly sheer drop on the outside. Luckily he was an excellent climber and stubborn to boot. Inuyasha peeked in all the windows, not realizing he was following a feeling rather than his nose until there was a pulse of something sharp in his gut, telling him he needed to go up another floor and over two more ledges. Sure enough, he found Kagome asleep in her bed. The moonlight lit her delicate features just enough for him to know it was her if the feeling, now pounding in his chest, wasn’t enough. The window sash took time to pry open, but he was able to slip in without a sound.

The darkness of the room hid him at first, but she could feel his presence in the shadows. When he brushed her shoulder, she jumped at the shock of his touch on her skin. “Inuyasha,” she whispered, “what are you doing here?” He shook his head, pressing his finger to his lips. He crawled under the sheets with her, his clothing audibly rasping against her bare porcelain skin. Despite how strange it seemed for him to do so, she understood that if a guard glanced in, it would probably look as though there were only one person in the bed. “You can't get caught here,” she murmured distractedly, tingles skittering across her body. The warmth of him singed her. The only time she could truly recall feeling warmth in the time she had been trapped in this body had been when he touched her. She wanted to feel more and he seemed inclined to oblige her, his large hands tracing her sides and down to her hips. His mouth found hers, lips brushing against hers in a questioning kiss.

“I know I can find a way to make you alive,” he whispered against her mouth. Kagome bit her lip as his fingertips traced her breast, thoroughly erasing the phantom touches of Liam and Naraku. Her skin actually felt pliable for the first time too, as though it had taken his touch and his desire to make her feel properly and for her nerves to come to life. “The texts say that it is possible, we just have to figure out how.” His teeth gently nipped her bottom lip, drawing her into a deeper kiss. Kagome couldn't resist touching him in return, her stiff fingers brushing carefully against his side. He pressed against her more fully at the contact, his arousal bumping against her. Kagome knew if her heart were real it would be pounding.

“If Naraku catches you...”

“He agreed to my trade. You're coming home with me. In a few days, my brother will get here with the stuff we agreed on and you and I will leave.” He peeled off his shirt with her help. The full heat of his chest against hers made her groan. “I'm sorry Kagome, I don't know what's wrong with me,” he whimpered. “I didn't come here to do this, I swear, but I can't stop touching you.” His voice was hoarse. Kagome mumbled that she didn't mind, that she understood. She didn't understand, but she felt the same need as he did.

Despite knowing it shouldn't be possible, Kagome felt a wet heat between her own thighs. Inuyasha stiffened and very obviously sniffed. Kagome's eyes widened, a rough whimper leaving her lips when his hand snaked down to touch her there with gentle caresses. “Inuyasha...”

“Gods, you're wet. How are you wet?” he breathed against her throat, pressing a finger into the opening she had thought she could feel nothing in. The tattoo she still didn't know the meaning of seemed to flow from where her core was made, specifically designed for the lord to use her as he saw fit. He had yet to accomplish that feat since she had made a point to be surly and defend herself from his advances. He had other Dolls who had less fight in them on which he was more inclined to press his attentions, at least for the time being. She had known that he would come after her eventually if she couldn't get away. Knowing that she would be leaving with Inuyasha, to go live with him... Her relief made her passion rise. “You feel so real, Kagome. It's got to be your soul,” Inuyasha crooned, finding the bud of flesh she was almost positive hadn't been there before. She knew from listening to and seeing the other Dolls that their pleasure was never supposed to be part of the equation when the lord used them. Only the most important features for male satisfaction were present and the Dolls felt only enough sensation to feel pressure and perhaps some pain. Pain Naraku seemed to enjoy inflicting too much. She felt no pain whatsoever at Inuyasha's touch.

“Right there, please,” she whimpered, arching against his hand. He growled low, kissing her again while he complied with her request.

“You are so beautiful, Kagome,” he purred against her lips. His other hand fumbled with his pants, his erection coming free. Kagome touched him carefully as he continued to stroke her. He hissed his pleasure at her touch, the heat of the soft skin over hardness making her own fingers feel as though they were warm. “Gods, like that,” he whimpered when she softly curled her fist around his length. He showed her how to move up and down it from head to base. He whined and growled, a pleasured grimace on his face. His breath came in small pants for air, his eyes glowing in the faint light from the moon through the window.  _ He's beautiful _ . Inuyasha's fingers worked her until she had to let go of him, gripping his shoulders as a ripple of unexpected feeling washed through her. “Come for me Kagome. I know you can.” His soft encouragement sent her over the edge she had been flirting with into an explosion of sensation. She had never felt anything like it, even when she'd been truly alive, and certainly not since she had been captured from the afterlife into this fake body.

As she came down from the euphoric high Inuyasha slipped into her, startled wonder on his face. “I feel real.” They shared shocked smiles. “What did you do to me?”

He chuckled, retreating slowly before pressing forward once more. They both arched and Inuyasha gasped at the feeling. “Nothing that I know of. Just touched you.”

“Then why don't any of the other Dolls...”

“Shhh, just feel Kagome.” She swallowed her protest and did as he said, glad she had when he increased his pace. The precipice returned, just out of her reach. Inuyasha's hips snapped against hers, a rough growl vibrating in his chest. Repeating the action several times, Kagome squeaked when his hand reached up to cover one breast at the same time, pinching the nipple gently. It squeezed between his fingers like real flesh, shooting pleasure through her straight to her core. “Damn, you are so tight.” Kagome couldn't speak to respond, his fingers pinching and releasing her flesh stealing her ability for thought, let alone speech. He let go for a moment, hooking one of her knees with his hand and hiking her leg up closer to his side. The new angle allowed him even deeper inside of her and it was his turn to make a strangled moan.

Fingers returning to her breasts, the other nipple this time, Inuyasha sped up his thrusts into her heat, growling and whimpering all the while. “Inuyasha, please!” Kagome whimpered, needing more but not sure what it was and not really believing she could feel the need to begin with.  _ It's a dream. A beautiful, splendid, incredible dream _ , she told herself even as she felt heat pulsing sporadically through her.

“Here,” he told her, taking her hand and directing her fingers to the bud of flesh he had touched before. He showed her what he intended her do before reaching up to brush his thumb over the very sensitive tip of her breast. She didn’t even get a chance to try what he’d intended, Kagome biting back a cry, her hips rising to seek out his thrusts. She flew off the edge this time, taking Inuyasha with her. A rush of heat accompanied his release, not just in her channel, but all the way through her body. Kagome sucked in a sharp breath and felt her lungs expand for the first time with air. She was breathing! Coughing at the suddenness of it, lungs heaving and aching from not being used before now, Kagome felt relief mixed with the fear of not being able to breathe properly. She had become so used to not breathing that it felt strange. “Kagome? Are you... are you alright?” Inuyasha whimpered, equally frightened by her outburst.

“I'm breathing,” she coughed out, “really breathing!” His golden eyes grew wide in his face, a disbelieving smile lighting his lips.

“I don't know how, but you're becoming more alive by the minute.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The waiting felt unbearable but Kagome felt that, no matter what, Inuyasha would keep his promise. A warm flush swept through her just thinking about him. As if being with him and being able to breathe because of him wasn't enough, now she felt the warmth of his presence just by thinking his name. She smiled to herself making Kagura raise an eyebrow at her in the mirror. “Happy today, aren't we?” she teased, combing through Kagome's long hair. It had been somewhat tangled yesterday morning from her... evening activities. The dresser had complained that Kagome needed to braid it before bed and threatened to cut it all off if she got it tangled like that again. Now she only had to press the waves out of it instead. “I heard the lord sold you off to the Puppy.” Kagura kept her voice low, glancing over her shoulder a moment.

“Yes,” Kagome replied simply. She didn't want to risk Naraku taking back the deal if he discovered that she was all too pleased to go and that she meant more to Inuyasha than just a passing fancy. At least... she hoped she meant more to him than that. He could only be interested in her for the scientific aspect.  _ Then he wouldn't have come to me the other night, not like that _ . The desperate sound of his voice, ** _ I'm sorry Kagome, I don't know what's wrong with me. I didn't come here to do this, I swear, but I can't stop touching you_ ** , in her head made the warmth inside her grow. He wanted her at the very least. Perhaps it could become more than just want. But was that fair to him?  _ It could not work, changing me, and I'll pass out of this body in a few months' time just like all the others _ . A Doll had passed just that morning. A blond beauty who had only lasted a little over two months under Naraku's constant attention. Kagome shuddered at the idea, but was warmed by the memory of the gentle affection with which Inuyasha treated her. But she was reminded that Inuyasha could become attached to her and then lose her after almost no time at all.  _ No, I refuse to leave this body. I refuse to leave him unless he wants me to go. _

Kagura finished piling her hair on top of her head in an elaborate style of loops and curls. “Sesshoumaru, the Puppy's older brother will be here in the next couple of days with the shipment, won't he?” Despite the nonchalant tone of the dresser's voice, Kagome wasn't stupid. She bit back a smile.

“I believe so, yes.” Kagura's eyes betrayed her excitement. Clearly the wind youkai was attracted to Inuyasha's older brother at the very least. Perhaps he returned her affections. Kagome resolved to look for any indication of the truth and perhaps encourage a way for Kagura to come with them when they left if Sesshoumaru did have some interest in her.

The next day she was disappointed to find that Sesshoumaru seemed to have very little interest in anything, much less a stunning woman like Kagura. While she herself found little appealing about him in comparison with Inuyasha, Kagome could see upon first glance why the Doll dresser, and likely many other women, found him attractive. Tall, with almost knife-like features, and the same silver hair as his younger brother, Sesshoumaru was a study in stoic male beauty. Kagome watched him through the afternoon meal and not once did she see any sort of emotion register on his face. No wonder he was usually the one sent to broker trade with Naraku. Not only was he a savvy businessman, he was clearly very powerful as well. Despite his arrogance, she doubted Naraku would deny the man much of anything when push came to shove. Inuyasha had yet to formally introduce them, but she hoped that perhaps the elder brother was more inclined to pleasantness when not in Naraku's presence.

She quickly learned that was not the case. He was civil and seemed to convey some small amount of interest in her as an oddity, but he too treated her like a thing, not a person. “And your wish is to see if you can make the Doll live?” he spoke in a tone that implied Inuyasha was a fool. His nose wrinkled faintly in distaste and Kagome realized after he glanced at his brother that he knew what had happened between them the other night. Had she been capable of the gesture, she would have blushed to the roots of her hair. “Clearly you have already begun... experimenting.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Kagome finally said, irritated by his dismissal of her. “What happens between Inuyasha and myself is none of your business.” That did raise one of his eyebrows and she heard Inuyasha chuckle lightly. It seemed Sesshoumaru was not used to being called out for his rudeness, and certainly not by Soul Doll. A knock on the door made all their heads lift in question. Although, Kagome realized, both brothers were using their noses to scent whoever was there. That was something she was going to have to get used to.

“Enter,” Inuyasha spoke a moment later, eying his brother with vague amusement. The elder youkai was standing taller than even his usually rigid spine allowed and he had straightened his collar in what would look like a nervous gesture on any other man but simply looked like he was ordering the fabric to do his bidding. “Kagura. How's it going?”

The dresser glanced at him and at Kagome only briefly before her eyes were glued to Sesshoumaru. “I'm well,” she replied, dark ruby eyes still fastened on the tall inuyoukai. “Lord Sesshoumaru,” she murmured gently. Kagome watched him take a step closer to her and give a slight bow of his head. With that small indication giving her all the knowledge she needed in that department, she took hold of Inuyasha's sleeve and motioned for them to leave the other two alone. He protested for only a moment before he understood her motivation.

Once outside, she let him lead her instead and was happy to find them in the greenhouse. “I like the way it smells in here,” Inuyasha let out on a sigh. He pulled her far enough back that it was unlikely anyone would see them if they came just inside the door. Kagome let out a tiny gasp when he pressed himself against her, forcing her against a table, rattling the bulb boxes on it. “I think I like how it smells here even more.” His nose gently traced the line of her throat and Kagome wished she could feel it more than she did. As it was, it was only a line of heat along with the sound of his breath near her ear.

“Inuyasha?” he hummed to let her know he was listening, but wasn't distracted from her body. “Am I... am I really just an experiment?” she whispered. His head jerked up and his ears perked toward her, a look of surprise on his face.

“No, Kagome. No, of course not.” He stepped back but did not let go of her waist. “I meant it when I said you don't belong here. They would do tests on you here, try to understand what makes your soul so much stronger than the others.” He lowered his chin to catch her eyes more fully. “I'm going to help you if I can, I promise.” 

Kagome nodded slowly, believing him, trusting him.  _ Why do I trust him so easily? _ She had only met him days before and almost upon first meeting she had known she needed to find a way to stay near him. That feeling had only intensified upon repeated contact with him and particularly the other night in her room. She had let him into her bed, her arms and her body – no matter that it was a fake – without a single hesitation or question in her mind. Never in her actual life had she trusted someone so implicitly, so completely. 

“Please, Kagome,” he said softly after he'd returned to kissing her neck, lifting her onto the edge of the table and pressing himself in between her thighs. He let out a desperate hiss. “I need you. Why can't I get enough of you?” he mumbled brokenly, clearly confused by the strength and relentlessness of his desire. Kagome felt infected by his need just as she had the other night, suddenly needing him just as strongly. She helped him pull up her skirts, her slip the only thing underneath. The already wide neck of her dress, designed to show off her perfectly sculpted shoulders, easily came down with her slip. The inuhanyou’s lips found the hard bud of one breast and his tongue teased it pliant. Kagome bit her lip to hold in a shout of pleasure, then struggled with the buckle of his belt and the buttons of his fly.  _ Apparently zippers are no longer a thing, _ she thought a little wryly, then lost her train of thought when Inuyasha nipped her shoulder a little sharply. Gasping for breath, she found her goal, slipping him free of his pants.

It was Inuyasha’s turn to gasp at the feel of her hands on him. Eagerly, he pressed forward with his hips, seeking her out. Their joining was quick and a little rough. Inuyasha was careful to hold her thighs to keep her in place while she clung to his shoulders, his hips snapping against hers over and over. He sighed and whimpered her name against her throat when he wasn’t taking a nipple between his lips. She fell off the edge in his arms, covering her mouth with her hand to muffle her cry of his name. He bit into the fabric of her dress to restrain his snarl as he joined her.

Pulling his handkerchief from his back pocket, Inuyasha took great care cleaning her up before helping her straighten her clothes. “I’m sorry, Kagome,” he whispered a moment later, his eyes downcast. Kagome felt her lungs freeze as she felt fear rise in her. Was he going to tell her he couldn’t keep being with her anymore, that he realized what a mistake it was? “I keep doing this to you, using you…”

“U-using me?” she breathed. She tried to compose herself, drawing on the way her body seemed to mute whatever her soul was feeling. “Can you at least get me out of here?” His golden eyes shot up to hers in confusion. Kagome was glad she physically couldn’t cry, because she felt like her heart was. “You don’t have to take me with you, just get me away from Naraku.”

Inuyasha floundered for a moment. “What? Get you away… Kagome?”

“I-if you can’t bring me with you, like you said…”

“No,” he whispered desperately, “no, that isn’t what I meant, Kagome!” She stared at him. “I just worried that you didn’t want… that you were just letting me…” He growled low in his chest, a sign of frustration. “You will come with me and we are going to find a way to make your body yours again. You aren’t a plaything or an experiment. You are a person,” he told her fiercely, the gentle brush of his knuckles against her cheek in contradiction to his tone.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed, throwing her arms around his neck. “I thought you’d changed your mind.”

“No, Kagome. Never,” he whispered against her cheek, taking her mouth in a rough kiss a moment later. “We’ll find a way, I promise. We’ll find a way for you to be you again.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The wagon was already prepared to go, twice as full as when it arrived, laden with goods Inuyasha had been able to trade for throughout the week. Kagome stood off to the side, trying to stay out of the way even while part of her wanted to stick close for fear of being left behind. She knew what Inuyasha had promised, what he had sworn to, but there was a tiny part of her that still feared that he would change his mind or somehow forget. She was a non-being. She had no rights, no power, no autonomy. If Inuyasha left her somewhere, she would have no way to protect or care for herself.

“Kagome?” His voice caused a pressure in her chest as she sucked in a sharp breath. “Are you alright?” he asked softly. His warm hand rested at her lower back, calming the anxious feeling. She nodded, turning toward his chest for a brief moment to push the feeling entirely aside. “Hey, what’s going on?” The worry in his tone made her smile a little.

“I’m alright. I was just feeling a bit…” She shook her head, unable to verbalize what she’d been concerned about before he returned to her side. “Are we almost ready to leave?” He grunted something unintelligible, his sharp gaze going over her head. Kagome turned to see Naraku standing at the gate of his manor, ruby eyes surveying their party as they prepared to set out.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked them, all jovial host. Inuyasha fought back a growl as Naraku approached Kagome, taking and kissing her hand. “I almost regret seeing you go, my dear.”

“Well, that scotch will keep you warm, won’t it?” Inuyasha interrupted as he slid in between them, hiding Kagome behind his larger form. Naraku’s answering smile was brittle.

“Yes. Indeed. Safe travels. I do hope this isn’t the last time I see you, Kagome.” He bowed to them, turned on his heel and strode back into his manor while Inuyasha growled under his breath. Kagome felt the tension leach out of her as he moved further away and the warmth of the hanyou in front of her soothed the chill in her soul.

“C’mon, Kagome. This one is ours,” he murmured, leading her to a large horse with gray coloring. Kagome noted he shied away from her, nostrils flaring for a moment and ears flipping nervously. Inuyasha caught hold of his bridle and spoke softly to him until his stamping feet stilled and he stopped balking at her presence. He lifted her easily into the saddle and vaulted up behind her, arms sliding around her waist to take hold of the reins. “Let’s go home,” he called, motioning the party forward and leaving the gates behind. Kagome let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as the house finally disappeared from sight.  _ Finally. Finally, I’m free of that place. _

Leaning back into Inuyasha’s chest, she closed her eyes and savored the moment. Even if she never got her real life back, knowing she was no longer under Naraku’s thumb left her soul trembling with relief. At least for now, she was safe in Inuyasha’s arms.


	4. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha takes Kagome home where she meets the people closest to him.

The journey back to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's home felt long to her, though she knew that she at least didn't feel aches or pains from the long ride. Inuyasha had insisted that she ride his mount with him, his arms around her as they plodded along. She glanced over his shoulder at the front of the shipment wagon where Kagura sat, pleased as punch. She was trying to restrain her happiness, but it kept creeping onto her face when Sesshoumaru wasn't looking at her. He rode just barely in front of her, dropping back from time to time to speak in a quiet rumbling Kagome couldn't understand. Even the cold youkai had seemed a little lighter in his steps when they left Naraku's stronghold and headed east toward the mountains. Kagome wasn't sure if it was just leaving the foul lord's presence or if it had a little more to do with the addition to their party.

“Still feeling alright?” Inuyasha asked her for the dozenth time. Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes from the depths of her soul.

“Yes, Inuyasha, I feel fine.” He had started asking her within a few yards of the gate and had continued to ask her every couple of hours. “If I do not feel fine, I will be sure to tell you.”

“Keh,” he replied, grumpy that she was calling him on his worry.

“Why do you keep asking?” she finally wondered aloud in a soft voice. He hadn't divulged the reason for his concern to her, not that she would feel any less irritated with him if he did.

He remained silent for several minutes, the tension in his frame against her side very telling. He either didn't want to tell her or he was embarrassed. “Some Dolls' souls are tethered to the place they're made,” he said finally. “They can be pulled right out of the body if they aren't careful. If you feel any... tugging, you tell me right away and we'll stop.” His tone was so earnest it almost brought tears to her eyes. Or it would have if her stupid body were capable of tears. Kagome definitely felt tugging, deep down to the very center of her being, but it wasn't back toward Naraku's manor. Inuyasha was the only thing drawing her anywhere, the only thing keeping her in her porcelain body. She ducked her head, giving him a short nod, afraid he would read the strength of her emotions on her face.

Kagome knew it was too soon to feel anything for Inuyasha, and that maybe the fact that he was quite accurately playing the role of silver knight in shining armor was swaying her. At the same time she couldn't deny that something about him, or something about the two of them together, made something previously thought impossible happen. She, a Soul Doll, was breathing. It was not life, but it was certainly more than could be said for any of her contemporaries.  _ And that isn't the only thing, _ she thought with a mental blush, _ I feel desire, physically, for him. He can feel and smell it. _ Kagome tucked her chin further down at the knowledge that she was feeling such desire at that moment and she felt Inuyasha stiffen against her in more ways than one.

“Kagome,” he groaned softly in her ear, his nose pressing against the space just behind it. She felt a flush of heat that shot straight through her at the contact of his skin. “You gotta think about something else,” he hissed. “We're not supposed to stop for another few hours and my bastard brother's going to smell you.”

“I can't help it. I have almost no feeling in this body and that's the one thing I do feel,” she admitted, turning to scold him but finding herself pressing her cheek to his instead. Any moment she could grab where she felt his warmth, felt his skin, felt real, she found herself latching onto. The thing was, he seemed equally inclined to touch her.  _ I can feel the warmth of him and the responding warmth in myself when he touches me, but do I feel real to him all the time? _ Softly, not sure where the courage came from, she asked him that very question.

Inuyasha sat back from her with difficulty, staring down at the top of her head. Her desire had begun to fade in lieu of her curiosity and he let out a sigh of relief that she no longer smelled like wet feminine heat. Thinking about what she was asking him, he softly touched her bare hand. Warm and pliant skin met his fingertip. He tried her cheek and found the same. “Yea, you do,” he replied with some wonder in his face. Wanting to investigate further, he allowed his mount to drop back to ride alongside Kagura. “Oi, when you touch Kagome, does her skin feel real to you?” The wind youkai tilted her head.

“No,” she responded simply.

“What about you?” he asked his brother.

“I have never touched her.” Despite his icy attitude, he brought his mount over next to Inuyasha's and delicately held Kagome's hand when she offered it and let it go barely a moment later. “Like smooth pottery.”

“You don't feel warm when anyone else touches you, do you?” Inuyasha said in a musing tone, then his mouth tilted up in an all too pleased smirk. “I'm the only one,” he said with a puff of pride in his chest. Kagome fought a smile and shook her head at him.

The mountains gave way to rugged coastline by the beginning of the second day. Kagome would have cried with joy, were she capable, for the sight of something so familiar. Despite being in a completely different part of the world, the ocean was the ocean. The familiar sounds eventually put her to sleep in Inuyasha's arms as they trekked along the water to a keep far in the distance.

When they finally approached the keep, the walls seeming to grow out of the very cliff on which it stood, Kagome couldn't help feeling a little nervous. The height of the walls and the way it loomed over the cliff made the keep seem forbidding and a little frightening. Inuyasha hadn't said much about his father other than he'd been around a very long time, so it was easy for her to imagine he was just as frightening as his home. “What's wrong?”

“Huh?” she murmured, still mesmerized as the keep rose above them. “Oh!” she gasped as they came to a halt. She had assumed they were approaching a lower entrance as they kept along the cliff face, but instead they were cut off from the keep by an inlet. Waves crashed in between the rocks, the sound rising from a deep roar to a high tinkle of water depending on how the crests rolled over each other on the way in and out. Kagome watched the waves until she realized Inuyasha was trying to get her attention. “What?”

“I said, they'll lower the bridge in a minute.”

It was like something out of a medieval movie. The clanking and groaning of the chains as the drawbridge was lowered was muted only by the crash of the waves. Kagome stared in awe at the puffs of steam that rose on either side of the gate. “Steam engines. The gate mechanism is powered by steam,” she breathed. Inuyasha chuckled against her back, moving his mount forward when the bridge settled to a stop. “Why don't you have... steam cars, or trains or something?”

“There are still trains, but they only run between the larger cities where the lords get along. There's no desire to keep them up when the lords only fight over the land underneath them.” He paused as they went under the huge arch of the gate. “Cars just don’t make sense. They would have to carry too much water with them to make it anywhere and the roads are so bad they'd shake apart before they could make it a mile.”

“Makes sense, I suppose,” Kagome conceded.

“Inuyasha, my friend. I see you've returned with a far lovelier prize than any before.” Inuyasha's growl rolled through her clay body as a man, possibly in his early thirties, approached their mount. He had dark hair pulled into a low tail and a pair of hoop earrings in one ear. He wore all black aside from the purple undershirt with a stiffened collar that framed his collar bones. He was clearly fit and carried a long staff with a ring at the top, another set of hoops looped through it. Calm confidence oozed from him with a little bit of what Kagome had always thought of as “used car salesman.”

The man, whose eyes were almost violet, smiled up at her and offered her a hand down. “Back off, Monk.” Inuyasha dismounted with a snarl before lifting her down himself. “Miroku, Kagome's off-limits.” A smirk lit the man's lips and an eyebrow went up in question.

“Oh. Do let me introduce myself. I am Miroku, a monk by day, a scientist by night...”

“And an avid reader of comic books.” Both men looked stunned. Inuyasha had never mentioned his friend's love of the twentieth century illustrated story books. “What? Monk by day, scientist by night? That sounds like a superhero introduction if I've ever heard one.”

Miroku barely kept his jaw from dropping. “Miss Kagome... I don't believe I understand. How do you know about that?”

Kagome glanced between her hanyou and the monk. “Comic books were huge in my... time.” She frowned slightly at the uncomfortable admission. “Obviously they started way before that, but they were still very popular. They made tons of movies out of them too. Remake after remake...” Kagome realized she was rambling and clamped her mouth shut. She saw the confused look on Miroku's face as he looked between her and Inuyasha.

“We have a lot to explain,” was all the inuhanyou said.

After leading her to her room and helping her get settled, Inuyasha hung around, not wanting to leave Kagome on her own. “I really would like to change out of this get up,” she said, motioning to her somewhat lavish gown, dusty from travel. It was all she really had since Naraku wasn't about to hand over a set of clothes on top of selling off his most prized doll. “Can I get some pants maybe?”

“You want pants?” Inuyasha balked. “But... you're...”

Kagome shifted her weight and put her fists on her hips. “Is it because I'm female or because I'm a doll that I can't wear pants?” His mouth opened and closed several times without a sound. “Look Inuyasha, I know that in this time women are delicate and treasured, or some other nonsense. I'm not alive at the moment, so I'm not exactly fragile and I am far more comfortable in pants.”

Inuyasha let out a rough breath. “I'll see what I can find.” He went in search of the requested pants, having the damnedest time finding a pair that would fit Kagome's tiny frame. He was able to find some, and a few shirts that would fit her as well, but she would still need underthings. “How's this?” he asked her when he returned. She smiled brightly at him, taking the clothes and setting them on her bed. She fumbled for a moment, trying to get her dress undone, before turning to him with pleading eyes. Inuyasha felt heat in his blood as he locked the door and moved toward her.

Kagome had her back to him so he could reach the buttons, so she didn't see the hungry light in his eyes. “See, you won't have to help me in and out of my clothes if I can wear this,” she said, motioning to the pile on the bed.

“Who said I didn't like helping you out of your clothes,” Inuyasha purred against her neck, fingers deftly working the buttons open. She gasped softly when he gently licked the curve of her shoulder, head falling to the side. Inuyasha pushed the fabric of her dress down her arms and followed the curve of her hips through the slip she wore. Kagome's skin seemed to warm instantly under his fingertips, the soft skin of her thighs giving under the slight pressure of his claws. He turned her around, capturing her mouth with his.

Her scent rose in the air, drugging him. He needed more. Her slip was on the floor and he had her pressed into the mattress a moment later. She struggled to help him out of his clothes while he pinned her with his body, kissing her fiercely. “Inuyasha, out of these,” she whimpered. He paused only long enough to let her pull his shirt over his head and felt his breeches drop to his knees. Kagome squeaked softly as he slid into her, both of them moaning as he moved. “Inuyasha,” she breathed in his ear, one arm gripping him to her tightly.

“Shit Kagome,” he gasped when he felt a squeeze.  ** _She isn’t supposed to be able to do that._ ** He was too lost in the feeling to mention it. Inuyasha moaned when it happened again, his hips pushing faster, thumb brushing over her to bring her along with him. It had been days, the road not being the best place for intimacy when his brother would smell or hear anything and the guards would likely hear enough to know what was going on. He felt desperate for her. Even though he’d slept with her in his arms every night, had ridden with her in the circle of his hold the whole trip. “Kagome,” he murmured against her lips, kissing her again.

“Inuyasha,” she cried out as her body arched against his. Her body squeezed him impossibly tight and it threw the inuhanyou over the edge of his control. Snarling, he felt his release overtake him, his hips locking against hers for a moment as time seemed to stop. Inuyasha was stunned by the strength of his climax, how each time with Kagome seemed to be more powerful, more earth shattering than the last. The changes in her body seemed to cause changes in his own. He could smell the scent of her mixing with the scent of him, the liquid heat of their combined release bathing him as he slowly softened within her enough to pull free.

“Kagome,” he panted. “Sometimes I feel like its my imagination, like I’m losing my mind. This… You… I feel things that shouldn’t be possible.” Her smile made his heart glow with warmth. Until he realized she thought he meant something else. Inuyasha murmured what he’d been able to feel during their coupling, the things no Doll should be able to do. Her face, more expressive every day, let him know she was disappointed that his declaration hadn’t been more emotionally charged. “Kagome…”

“Maybe that’s how this works,” she whispered, interrupting him. “Little bits at a time, I become more like a real person.” The inuhanyou felt his heart break at how she covered her disappointment with false positivity. He knew that feeling. Hiding behind a fake smile or a surly attitude to keep anyone from knowing how much you wanted to connect, only to be rejected. He was reminded of when he’d tried to apologize to her for his inexplicable, gut-deep, need for her. She hadn’t chastised him for potentially abandoning her, only asked that he get her free of Naraku’s clutches.

Yet he wasn’t ready to openly admit everything. He still feared some illusion, a trick, that would pull the rug out from under him as soon as he admitted to what he felt. What if it was just protectiveness? Protectiveness ramped up to a ridiculous level, but just that instinct alone? Kagome could very well only feel indebted to him, or some attachment born from being in a traumatic situation and seeing him as her rescuer. “Kagome… I want to show you the garden. I think you’ll like it.”  ** _Coward_ ** , he thought to himself, but allowed a gentle smile when Kagome offered him one first.

~~~~~~~~~~

“So this is the female who has so entranced my son.” Kagome froze where she sat in the garden, Inuyasha hopping down from his perch on the wall. A tall man with shining silver hair tied in a long, high tail stared down at her with shrewd golden eyes capped by dark brows. She took in the sharp markings on his cheeks and his pointed ears, glancing at Inuyasha with slight surprise. Outside of the markings, it was in no way difficult to see the resemblance between father and sons. Kagome slowly stood, brushing off the pants she wore, trying to compose her thoughts. She hadn’t entranced Inuyasha, had she?  _ Intrigued, maybe, but it isn't like he is in lo… _ “You were quite right about her, my boy,” he said after a moment, interrupting her thought. “Her soul is remarkable.”

“I am standing right here… sir,” she added. He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Your other son talks about me like I’m not here. My mind is in perfect working order, thank you.”

She was unprepared for the delighted grin that lit his features, sharp fangs evident. “Feisty as well. I think, Miss Kagome, that you will do just fine here.”

“Keh.” Inuyasha’s gaze was fond as he slipped an arm around her waist. Despite it being his own father, Inuyasha couldn’t help the possessive display. “Kagome, this is my old man, Toga.” The two exchanged quiet greetings. “We’ll start in the library tomorrow. I’m hoping a new set of eyes will help Miroku find what we need.”

The older inuyoukai shot them a surprised look. “Oh. And what is it you hope to find?” Inuyasha’s fierce and worried glance at Kagome told him all he needed to know. “I see.” Kagome felt like she would have blushed under his intense scrutiny and was slightly glad that her current form couldn’t. It was obvious that he had doubts as to the likelihood of their success, but he didn’t want to say so. “I would like to hear about your life, Miss Kagome. It is rare to know someone else who was alive during that time, even among youkai these days.” Toga motioned them over to the grass where Kagome had been sitting, knowing his son wouldn’t leave her side with another male so close.

They talked about where and when Kagome was born, her family, her schooling. Inuyasha mostly listened, enrapt in the story of her. Kagome’s life had been simple, ordinary. Yet the fact that she’d gone to school away from home, planned to get a job, lived with her friends, was extraordinary. None of these things were possible for the women of their time. Inuyasha felt his chest ache for the freedom she had taken from her when she was brought here.  ** _Not only is she trapped in this fake body, she can’t leave this fortress. Even if… when… Even when we figure out how to make her living, she’ll be a prisoner here compared to her old life._ ** She must have sensed his mood, her delicate hand reaching out to gently grip his much larger one. The warmth that seeped between them made him grin a little.

“Your knowledge of history is astounding, Miss Kagome. I am glad to know your memory is so intact.” Toga looked between his son and the Doll who had so clearly captured his heart. He could easily see why. He only hoped that they could find the impossible. He would never wish the loneliness and pain of losing the one you love on his enemies, let alone his own sons. “Despite the tragic way you have arrived here, I have to say I am glad you did not have to endure the time in between.” He found himself a little surprised by how her eyes turned directly to his son, the look passing between them telling. His son was not the only one entranced.

“It’s such a weird thing. To have a second chance,” she said softly, her bright blue eyes shining but sad. “Part of me wishes I had… I don’t know.”

“Lived your life as you were meant to?” She nodded. “Perhaps you are,” he replied, noting again the way the Doll's and his son’s eyes locked on one another.

“I… I hope you’re right,” was her quiet reply.

Inuyasha’s eyes were intensely golden, almost copper, as he stared at her. Kagome had never seen them quite that shade before. “Calm yourself, Son,” Toga spoke after a moment. “Letting your blood rise will not solve it this moment.” She reached out, touching his cheek in curiosity as well as in hopes of calming him. Shaking his head and blinking, Kagome saw his irises return to their normal coloring. She blinked a few times and glanced between the two males. “Inuyasha’s youkai half tends to rise when he is… upset.” White ears flipped back in embarrassment and his cheeks flushed a little under his father’s words. Kagome squeezed the hand still gripping hers, calming his heated cheeks some as well. “There are many hanyou now, certainly far more than there were hundreds of years ago.”

“Keh, not many with youkai parents as strong as you, old man.”

Toga tossed his son a faintly sad smile. “Your youki is quite impressive because of it, boy. Finding that which will balance you will keep you from being consumed by it.” Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Apparently they had this conversation often. “Perhaps you have found it,” the elder youkai murmured, catching only his son’s attention. 

Kagome was still watching her hanyou protector carefully, studying him. She saw his eyes go wide and he turned sharply to look at her before glancing at his father. “What? Did.. did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong? N-no, Kagome. Nothing’s wrong,” he spluttered. Toga only grinned at his son’s awkward response.


	5. Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Research is hard on everyone. Kagome worries that it is all for nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to minha amiga @Thunderpot for helping me with my poor Portuguese. It's been ages since I used it and she helped me not sound like a third grader.
> 
> As usual, mind the tags as well as minor description of violence and blood.

The book seemed plain, unassuming. Kagome only gave it a second glance because of the lovely prints just inside the cover. Whoever had written and illustrated the book had been both an artist and a lover of women. His renditions of the female form were both impeccable and honest, not idealized or fantasy. “Inuyasha, look. These look like Dolls, but...” But different somehow, more real. She felt the warmth of his presence against her back before he actually touched her. “Look how well proportioned they are, like real women. And they're all different.” One of the things she had learned from her time in Naraku's home, and in what she'd gathered from Inuyasha and Miroku, Dolls essentially all had the same body, the same shape. It was only their hair, eyes and then the shapes of their faces that were individual to each one. Somehow the soul shone through and at least partially reflected the person they had last been.

“The text is all in old Portuguese. I can't read it.”

Kagome felt the grin rise from the depth of her heart. “It's not old Portuguese to me, and it's Brazilian Portuguese anyway.”

Inuyasha simply blinked at her for a breath. “You read Brazilian Portuguese?”

“Sim, falo também.” Inuyasha's jaw nearly dropped.

“You continue to amaze, Lady Kagome,” Miroku intoned. “Is the book worthwhile?” he questioned while approaching warily. He'd learned the hard way, more than once, that his hanyou friend didn't take kindly to anyone getting too near his lovely Doll.

Finding a chair, Kagome plopped down with the book in her lap. She skimmed the pages for mentions of the Dolls, finding herself enthralled by a story of a man who lost his love to war and the struggle to bring her back. But she was able to read between the lines as well. This was not simply a story, it was a recounting of a truth. She even read what she never would have believed otherwise. “The Dolls were never meant to be like this. We weren't meant to be like this!”

“Like what, what do you mean?” Inuyasha’s ears were as trained on her as his eyes.

“Mass-manufactured, perfect, identical. The Dolls were supposed to be a way to re-populate the women and men who died. All those people who perished, they would get a second chance.” Kagome could almost feel the sensation of tears in her eyes, though she knew it was impossible. "Quando para dentro de si veio a vida de sua cara metade, sua própria vida retornou. When into her went the life of her other face, her own life returned.”

“How?” Inuyasha breathed, dropping to his knees in front of her. “How did they do it?”

Shaking her head, Kagome sighed. “It doesn't say. Not specifically enough to be sure. I only took a few years in college too, so I read it decently, but not perfectly.”

“Damn,” Inuyasha hissed, pounding a fist on the arm of the chair. “We've looked into everything in the archives about reincarnation, necromancy, even as far back as the story of Frankenstein. Nothing gives us any specifics.”

Miroku gently reached out for the book in Kagome's hands. “Perhaps they worried that the information would be used badly. Look at Naraku.” He read through the section Kagome had pointed out again, using what knowledge he did have of languages to see a pattern. “The translation may be too literal. Half of a face? Did you have a twin sister, Lady Kagome?” She shook her head. “The current incarnation of her soul? How would one ever be sure of that? And wouldn't he or she have felt something when the soul was captured?” Inuyasha shrugged, his scowl deepening.  ** _Always more questions than answers!_ **

“Liam said they somehow knew I'd never been reincarnated. I don't think they could catch a soul that's moved on already.”

Miroku nodded slowly, looking through the illustrations in the book again. “And the life of... are we talking about having to kill some other person to bring back the captured soul?”

“No. No matter what, no,” Kagome said adamantly. She looked up into Inuyasha's pained eyes. “I want my life back as much as anyone, but I can't allow someone else to die for me.”

“I never would have assumed something so selfish about you, Lady Kagome,” Miroku soothed. “And mathematically it wouldn't make sense. You can't repopulate when you're expending a life to get one.”

Inuyasha growled something unintelligible. “Monk, look into translating the book. Record all possible translations of important lines. There has to be a key in there somewhere.” Miroku nodded and took the book under his arm, going to write correspondence to the other researchers he knew and several to linguists he'd been in contact with over the years.

“Inuyasha, that goes for you too.” His head tilted as he turned to look at her, a faint frown lowering his brows. Kagome smiled softly, standing and smoothing the lines from his forehead. “No matter what you think, what you... feel. I never want you to risk yourself for me.” He opened his mouth to protest, closing it with a snap when she pressed her delicate hand against his lips. “I know how honorable you are, how strong. How strong-willed,” she said with a smile. “You were born to this time. You're meant to be here. I'm... I was supposed to have died two hundred and fifty years ago and I should have become someone or something else by now.”

Kagome closed her eyes as Inuyasha took her hand to gently kiss the pads of her fingers and then down her wrist. “I don't believe that. I think you were meant to be here, with me,” he breathed. Down to the deepest part of her soul, she hoped he was right. She wanted to be with him, stay with him.  _ And what if I disappear tomorrow? _ She returned his soft kiss with twice as much passion, desperately afraid that each day she remained in this fake body could be her last.

~~~~~~~~~~

A low groan made her head pop up from the book she had been immersed in. The sound made her realize that they had been in the same position for a very long time. If even Inuyasha - who barely felt discomfort unless he suffered a major injury - was feeling stiff, then they probably should have taken a break some time ago. Kagome stood from her chair and went over to where he was trying to stretch out his back. Her fingers dug gently into the muscles of his shoulders until he let out a completely different groan, melting onto the table in front of him. “That feels so good, Kagome.”

“I bet. You’re strung so tight.” She sighed. “We should take a…”

He popped up, trying to look ready to read again. “No, I’m alright. I can keep going.” Kagome slipped around him and into his lap. “Kagome…”

“You need rest. I know you can go longer than most, but you don’t have to do that to yourself.” She saw the protest forming in his eyes. “I need a breather too. I can only remember so much.” He sighed at her small smile but nodded. “I want to get outside. Just for a little?”

“The garden…”

“Real outside. Grass. Trees. Please, Inuyasha?” she whined, pressing his cheeks between her hands and her nose to his. He chuckled this time, unable to resist her playfulness. Kagome giggled when he scooped her up into his arms, threatening to throw her over his shoulder. “You told me you could almost fly,” she reminded him.

“I did and I can,” he smirked. Kagome was unprepared for the way he shifted her onto his back and took off at a jog down to the balcony off of the dining room at the end of the hall. He popped the french doors open and leapt off the railing without warning. Kagome screamed before she could catch it, burying her face in the volume of hair at his nape. His hands gripped under her backside to keep her in place as he soared to the wall of the keep and then over it. “Open your eyes, woman, or you’ll miss the view.” Kagome fought off the nausea she couldn’t actually feel and peeked her eyes open. They were still far higher than she could fathom, but the grey stone of the keep and black rock of the cliff had given way to greenery. She hadn’t had the chance to explore, but part of her had thought the keep was on what essentially equated to a very large sea stack, isolated from the shoreline. Instead, it was more like a small peninsula with the main entrance over the inlet that cut into the mainland and the bulk of the property backing onto a moor which eventually ran into dense forest.

“Oh, wow. Inuyasha, it’s beautiful.”

“Keh.” He glanced around his next landing spot for obstacles, taking to the ground at a loping run before launching them back up. Kagome didn’t cling to his neck as tightly this time, allowing him to relax some as well. He liked this. Travelling with her close, feeling the weight of her against his back as he ran, felt natural. “There’s a clearing up here. Gets good sun,” he called to her over his shoulder, vaulting off of a treetop. He bit back a grin at the wide smile on her face, the glow only he could see in her unnaturally blue eyes. He definitely knew what they would be doing on their breaks from research in the coming days.

The sun actually felt warm on her face. It was a small thing, she knew, but it was wonderful all the same. She had to take satisfaction where she could. Being cooped up in the dungeon-like laboratory or the library with Inuyasha was slowly driving her crazy. It was one thing to study the texts extensively to find the clues they were looking for, it was another thing entirely to spend a week's time doing this with very little else to fill the time.  _ I might not have much longer. Obviously I want to find a way... _ Kagome sighed and slumped her shoulders, the grass she'd been fiddling with falling from between her fingers.  _ What do I think is going to happen? We'll find the secret and I'll be alive again? Who am I kidding? _ Looking up to catch a glimpse of Inuyasha leaping easily from one treetop to another, Kagome felt the mental equivalent to tears. He was so graceful, even as gruff as he could be. So strong even when he was tender. How could she honestly expect whatever magics allowed her this pretend life to let her have a real one with this beautiful man who had saved her from a half-life as a twisted man's sex toy?

Kagome felt her porcelain skin tingle and smiled sadly. Inuyasha's arms came around her a moment later and she automatically settled back into his hold. “Stiff bastard is around somewhere,” he mumbled offhand. His nose had found its place just behind her ear and Kagome giggled at the tickle of his breath against her neck. “What has you down?”

Trying to shrug it off didn't work and she let out a breath. “Just wondering if we're wasting our time together looking for the solution to a puzzle that has none.”

Inuyasha huffed and leaned to the side so he could look her in the eye. “Don't talk like that. We're going to find a way. We have to find a way.” Kagome gave him her best skeptical look. “I promised,” he whispered seriously. Her face softening, she leaned up to kiss him, relishing the warmth his body imparted to her own. These were the moments she relished the most, the times where he was able to be affectionate with her and gave her the warmth she didn't get to feel from anything else, not even the sun.

Kagome stiffened a moment after she felt Inuyasha do so. “What...”

“Don't move,” he breathed. Kagome felt the increase in his heart rate and froze as he had asked. She knew Inuyasha was protective, but she knew this was far more than that. He slowly helped her to her feet, ears and nose twitching, then nudged her back. “Run.” Kagome's body, already stiffer than she would like, took longer than she had to respond to the command. Before she could make it even a few paces, they were surrounded. 

Never in her life, real or false, had she seen anything so terrifying. A writhing mass of wings, arms, eyes, tongues and teeth circled them in the clearing. There was no path out, no safe place for her to go. A surprised breath left her lungs as Inuyasha swept her into his arms and tried to leap over the mass of youkai. They seemed to go as far as the eye could see. “Inuyasha...” He merely grunted as they hit the ground again, no better off than before.

“What the fuck do you lot want?!” he roared, tucking Kagome against his chest as if to hide her from their view. The sheer number of them told him that this was no random occurrence. This mass of youkai were sent after them and he could guess pretty easily who had sent them and why. The lower level youkai wouldn't necessarily go after Kagome, she wasn't edible, but she was still vulnerable.

A hissing, gurgling voice that came from everywhere at once responded. “The Doll will remain unharmed if you give her to us.”

“Like Hell!”

“Give her up or die yourself.” Inuyasha had heard enough. He sent a pulse of his youki out, hoping to scare some of them off. Many flinched but made no move to run. They were clearly under someone's control. Again, no big secret who that was.

“I need you to listen very carefully,” he whispered into Kagome's hair. “I'm going to try to take as many of them down in one direction as I can and then fight my way through. As soon as you see an opening, I want you to run faster than you ever have. Do you understand me?” Kagome nodded against his chest. “Good. Be ready.” He tilted her chin up and placed a quick but fierce kiss on her mouth before letting his arms fall to his sides.

“I love you,” Kagome gasped out before he left her, not sure if she would get another opportunity. Golden eyes stared back at her for a moment in awe before they became hard and determined. 

Then Hell broke loose on earth. 

Kagome watched in horrified fascination as Inuyasha slashed and snarled his way through the first ranks. Parts and blood flew everywhere and Kagome lost sight of him for more than a breath. She held it until he reappeared, roaring out his fury. The lesser youkai attacked in droves, pushed back as much by Inuyasha's youki as they were by his claws. Kagome felt the rise in his youki like a welling heat that began at her toes. When more than half the youkai were gone, Inuyasha was bloodied and the warmth of his youki made Kagome look down to make sure her clothing wasn't on fire.

Their eyes met for a moment and Kagome was startled to see the rage in his. She screamed when a claw grabbed hold of her arm, the tips losing purchase when they scraped across her porcelain skin. She felt the pain as if it had torn into her, falling to her knees. A breath later, the monster was destroyed and Inuyasha stood over her with glowing red eyes, the lovely golden irises she knew replaced with an unnatural turquoise. Inuyasha did not seem to recognize her in the least, but he continued to tear apart anything that came near. He nearly decapitated his brother when the elder inuyoukai arrived, sword drawn. Sesshoumaru blasted through the majority of what remained, the others lurking at the edges of the forest. “You are... unharmed?” he asked in a gruff voice, his icy golden gaze not straying from his brother. Kagome nodded in silence, unable to take her eyes off of her hanyou either.

He was alarmingly magnificent as he stood in the clearing, blood and gore all over him, a fierce snarl on his lips. Youkai bodies slowly faded to ash around him, blowing away in a wind that seemed to come from his youki alone. Kagome wasn't sure whether she was incredibly proud or shocked out of her wits. Maybe a little of both. All she knew was Inuyasha didn't seem to know her and that, more than anything, scared her.

He couldn't hurt her even if he wanted to, which she knew he didn't, not really. “Inuyasha?” she whimpered. The glow of his eyes terrified her but she could see the struggle in his body to remain still and not lay a claw on her. His fangs had grown larger, much more menacing if your flesh was delicate and easy to puncture. Kagome's was not, but that didn't mean he couldn't snap her neck. She would feel the pain, she knew it. Would she be released from this body if it was broken? Things were too unpredictable now that Inuyasha had somehow made her breathe air. Her skin looked more real, but it was almost impervious to harm. Her joints were less obvious, skin seeming to flesh out at her knuckles and her elbows. But she was still a Doll, more life-like than any before her, but a Soul Doll all the same. “Inuyasha,” she tried again, “Inuyasha, listen to my voice.” He snarled at the youkai standing stiffly beside her. He seemed unsure if his brother was a threat or not. “Sesshoumaru is here to help, right?” she nodded emphatically, gaining only a tiny hint of a nod of affirmation from the stoic inuyoukai.

“He is not confused about my intentions,” Sesshoumaru intoned in that deep, unemotional voice of his. “His youkai mind is run mostly by instinct. He is not completely lucid and does not understand why you, his soulmate, are not in fact alive.” Kagome gasped, turning her attention completely on her protector, her lover... her soulmate. “If he cannot reconcile the issue in his mind, he may attempt to destroy the body in which your soul resides to set you free.” If she'd had blood, it would have run cold at his words.

Gulping back a dry sob, Kagome stared into Inuyasha's red gaze, hoping he would somehow see reason. “You are working to fix it. You have already made this body more alive than when I first came here. I breathe,” she whispered to him. His ears twitched, his nose occasionally lifting to sniff the air. A lesser youkai tried to take advantage of his distraction only to meet the same fate as those that had come before it.

“You smell of him, he understands that means he has scent marked you and that he has tried to mate with you. As you are, you are incapable of bearing life. To a purely instinct-driven youkai...”

“I might as well be dead.” Sesshoumaru said nothing, but his silence said enough. Kagome tried to think through their options. They had been pouring through texts together, trying to identify what it was that tied the souls collected to the Soul Dolls and what could be done to make the flesh real. They had already discovered that trace amounts of DNA from a living body could initiate the process, but only if the souls were very in tune.  _ Soulmate, that's it! _ _ Cara metade! _ The less formal idiom had thrown off her translation, but it made so much more sense now. Kagome barely restrained herself from trying to run to Inuyasha. “Blood. Blood is life! His blood is what makes the process complete itself.”

Sesshoumaru was motionless for a moment as he seemed to contemplate what she was saying. “That fits the texts. Why did no one think of it earlier?” He took a step in Inuyasha's direction, bracing himself when his brother snarled at him. Using the most basic form of communication known to inuyoukai, he attacked. Kagome screamed at him to stop, but he knew the only way to get his brother's rage-ravaged mind to listen would be to subdue him and then try to explain their need. He also knew from past experience that defeating his brother was no walk in the park on a normal day. With their father's strong youkai blood raging through him, he would be almost an even match for Sesshoumaru. Lucky for the elder youkai, Inuyasha was already injured and tired from fighting off so many lesser youkai bare-handed.

When he finally had the hanyou by the throat, they were both bloody and Inuyasha was gasping for breath. “Your Mate needs you,” he barked at his brother. Inuyasha's eyes still flamed defiance but they drifted to Kagome over his shoulder. “Blood. Your Mate needs your blood. She will become living. She will smell and taste of life.” He shook Inuyasha like a pup when he growled at him for even speaking of his Mate's scent and flavor. “Her heart will beat and she will be able to bear your pups, but she needs your blood to live.” That perked his brother's attention, his eyes losing some of their sharp edge. When he seemed ready to cooperate, Sesshoumaru switched his hold on him to the back of his neck, ready to scruff or hold him down if necessary.

Kagome's eyes, sparkling inhumanly blue, clearly displayed her fear and her quiet determination. “I'm here Inuyasha, It's alright. It's me, Kagome,” she whispered as Sesshoumaru brought him closer. Instead of struggling to stay away from her, he surged toward her, impatient all of a sudden to get to her.

“Mate!” he whimpered in inuyoukai when Sesshoumaru did not release him at first. Relief spread through him and he let the whelp go. Kagome opened her arms, catching him against her gratefully. “K'gome,” he mumbled so she could understand, snuffling her neck. “How... where?” He was still fighting down his youkai blood, but he knew that there was something important he was supposed to do.

Kagome thought hard, trying to imagine what the original creators of the Dolls would have used as the switch to initiate the body's return to living. Drinking it was too literal to take in “the life of her soul mate.” On top if it, the idea of drinking blood horrified her. There had to be another way. Kagome clung to Inuyasha, feeling his warmth. Touching him always reminded her of what it felt like to be alive. She thought back on how she had started to feel even remotely alive. Breathing. She hadn't been able to breathe until... “We need someplace to be alone,” she told the hanyou holding her. He looked confused a moment, then seemed to scent the sudden liquid heat that suffused her core at the thought of being with him again. “Quickly, before your wounds heal. I don't want to have to hurt you again.” Inuyasha, his eyes already becoming more golden by the minute, scooped her against his chest, growling something to his brother and then taking off toward the keep. The lab in which most of their most relevant research was kept would have a pallet at the very least.

Kagome felt a spiral of excited energy rush through her. She felt her emotions mentally, but rarely physically like this. She smiled as Inuyasha set her down, barring the door. His hands were all over her within moments, his lips not far behind. Kagome kissed him back gladly, but tried to retain enough focus to do what needed to be done. She pulled her shirt over her head, gaining a pleased growl from Inuyasha, and gasped when he whipped her pants off for her. Nude before him, she felt the tingle of cool air over her skin. No goosebumps, but that she knew she was chilled was a good sign. Inuyasha yanked at the ties of his own clothes, dirt and blood brushing off of his skin as he went. His eyes, completely golden now, were hungry. Taking a glance at himself he growled. “Healed already. My youkai blood is stronger.” Kagome frowned. “My claws are sharp enough.”

“But it will hurt...”

“Don't worry about that,” he interrupted her. “Now, what did you figure out?”

Kagome looked startled for a moment before looking down at herself. Her index finger traced the patterns of the tattoo at her ribs, then down toward the apex of her thighs. Inuyasha took a step closer, eyes bright with want. “I kept thinking they were supposed to say something, be a message that would tell us how to... fix me. But they are all symbols for life in ancient languages. It's a pathway, do you see?” she murmured, the light touch of her own fingers affecting her as much as watching it seemed to be affecting Inuyasha. His breathing came out in light pants as he stepped closer, gently crowding her back toward the pallet. Her heels hit the edge and she sat down. Inuyasha forced her backward, bracing himself above her. “Notice how they are etched in, like...”

“Aqueducts... They're miniature aqueducts,” he said excitedly. Kagome grinned up at him, so enthralled by this man who was strong, brave, a little reckless, and more intelligent than he generally let on. Kissing him solidly, she conveyed her own excitement. His fingertip followed the path hers had taken, beginning at the top of the marking near the underside of where her ribs curved and down toward the center of her. “And here, hiding in with everything else is a double helix. I never noticed it until now,” he murmured against her. She gasped when his lips and tongue traced the same path, heat sparking and skipping almost painfully through her. “Don't be frightened,” he whispered, his tongue flicking over the top of her core where they had first discovered the beginnings of her changes. The little nub of flesh swelled under his tongue and they both gasped. That was new and more than they could have hoped for. Inuyasha continued his attention to the spot until Kagome could take no more, coming apart in his arms and crying out. Inuyasha's smile was predatory, but she felt no fear. He slid himself against her until the rounded head nudged her core. Her hips seemed to lift of their own accord to invite him in, his entrance easy. “I still can't believe you can feel like this as you are,” he groaned. “When you're actually alive... Gods Kagome!” he whimpered, pumping into her while his other hand sought out her breasts. She arched her back, encouraging him while she found her fingertips caressing herself. Climax roared toward both of them. Kagome felt herself fall over the edge as a howl ripped from Inuyasha's throat. 

Next she knew something seemed to scald the skin near her hip. She touched it, not understanding, and came away with sticky blood on her fingers. She turned her face to Inuyasha, her mouth gaping open. He had sliced open his palm and was pressing it to the etchings. She could feel the trail of fire it left in its wake as it dribbled through the tiny valleys created in her skin. Inuyasha pulled slowly from her core to watch the blood follow its path into her body, intensely focused on her for any change. Kagome winced as the burning entered her where Inuyasha had just retreated from. What if they were wrong? What if it didn't work?  _ What if I'm not his soulmate?  _

And then she was torn apart.


	6. Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's happening to Kagome?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explicit content, because of course there is.  
CW: Rough treatment

What if they were wrong? What if it didn't work? _ What if I'm not his soulmate? _

And then she was torn apart.

Every part of her suddenly felt as though it were on fire, as though she were actually engulfed in flames. She arched from the pallet, her mouth open in a silent scream. Her lungs cried for air and she was forced to suck in a desperate breath, only to feel as though she had swallowed needles. Her chest felt too full, pounding through the inferno burning her entire body. Kagome couldn't hear him, but she could see Inuyasha screaming at her, trying to hold her but retreating when it was clear that hurt her more. The pain in his face tore at her. There were tears in his eyes. 

Then she lost her vision, colors flashing before her gaze in a whirlwind of confusing stimulation. Nothing made sense and she was in too much pain to try to process it. The light increased in intensity until she thought she would go blind from the brightness. The flashes were then accompanied by a high pitched whine that made her ears feel like they were splitting. Thousands of pin pricks all over her body followed the bright light and a snap that ended the whine, refocusing her shattered attention. Suddenly the pain stopped and her world went completely dark. _ Am I dead? No, I can't be. I can't leave Inuyasha! _ Her moments with him in this borrowed life fluttered through her mind. A smirk. A twitching ear. The sound of his faint snoring when he was deeply asleep. The way his eyebrow ticked when Miroku teased him. The soft smile he only seemed to share with her. The way he brushed his lips over hers to wake her.

**Bump**. 

Kagome's mind froze, mentally straining to listen... to feel... anything. 

**Bump bump. Bump.**

**Bump bump. Bump. **

_ My... my heart is beating. I'm alive _. Her lungs finally released the breath she had been holding in her agony. Slowly her vision returned, Inuyasha's shocked amber eyes staring down at her. Kagome slowly licked lips that felt as though they had been sunburned. Her ears rung painfully, but they were slowly beginning to distinguish the sound of Inuyasha's breathing, a pounding on the door to the lab, and a shouting voice. And her heartbeat, her own blessedly present heartbeat.

“Kagome,” he breathed. His nose was twitching furiously as he picked up all the scents that suddenly came off of her. Pain still lingered prominently, but under that he could smell Kagome. She was alive. She was a living being. “Are you alright?” he whispered. Tears. Real tears slowly leaked from the corners of her eyes, now a warm and deep brown. _ Her real eye color _. Inuyasha desperately wanted to cradle her to him, but feared hurting her more. “Don't cry, Love,” he murmured, gently brushing the tears away with his knuckle. Kagome gave him a tiny wavering smile in response. “I'm going to get you some water, alright? I'll be right back.”

“Inuyasha, what in the name of all that is holy...” Miroku was cut off when Inuyasha barreled past him toward the kitchen, still yanking a pair of pants over his hips. The monk had no choice but to stay with Kagome, hoping the hanyou would return with answers. He was more than a little startled to see the Doll naked, crying and shivering lightly. He tried to keep his eyes off of her, knowing how it would make her feel and how dead he might become if Inuyasha caught him staring, but he couldn't believe his eyes. Crying. Soul Dolls couldn't cry. They didn't shiver and they couldn't bleed either. “Lady Kagome?” She could only squeak in reply. He noticed one of Inuyasha's shirts on the floor and grabbed it to at least give her a small amount of modesty. The moment it touched her skin, she hissed in pain.

“Get the fuck away from her, Monk!” Inuyasha roared, coming between them, chest heaving in his anger. His fury was gentled as he lowered a cup to her lips, helping her drink without choking. Miroku couldn't help staring at her throat as she swallowed. Muscles working in concert to swallow liquid. How normal for most.

“Yash, she's alive.”

“No shit. Why are you still here?”

“Alive. She is... she was....”

“A Doll. But I grew out of it,” Kagome's voice rasped. Both men stared at her a moment before chuckling. “I'll be fine. Go on Miroku. You got more of an eyeful than you deserve.” Despite her harsh sounding words in her rough voice, her tone was teasing, a twinkle in her dark brown eyes. The monk nodded dumbly, backing slowly out of the room and shutting the door behind him. “Thank you, Inuyasha.”

“There's nothing to thank me for. The text said nothing about the pain,” he whispered. His hands hovered around her, so obviously wanting to touch her and yet afraid to do so. His eyes broadcast his worry. Kagome smiled softly at him, slowly feeling better. Breathing was no longer painful and her heart was beginning to slow down to a more normal rate. “I can't believe it worked.”

“Me either.” She blinked back more tears. “That creep Liam wondered why I had never been reincarnated before now, why my soul was so intact. It had to be so I could find you.” Inuyasha's gaze softened and he finally touched her face as gingerly as he could. Her skin was still tender to the touch, but Kagome couldn't help reveling in the fact that she could even feel his fingertips, tracing lightly against the tiny hairs and imperfections in her cheek. Never in her previous life would she have cherished a bump in her skin, a blemish of any kind, as she did now. Imperfection was a part of life, of living. The sensation of Inuyasha's lips ghosting across hers made her shiver and smile.

“Definitely felt that. Good?” he whispered, though she knew his nose was well aware that it was a good feeling. “I... Kagome,” he murmured, “I love you.” Admitting it seemed superfluous at this point, but telling her made a weight he'd been holding onto lift from his chest. He watched her carefully when a tremulous smile quirked her lips and she let out a sob. Her arms lifted from her sides and she carefully put them around his neck. Letting her pull him closer, he was careful not to press on her anywhere.

“Inuyasha,” she breathed against his lips. “I think I loved you from the moment I saw you.” He chuckled softly, finally releasing the tension waiting had put in his frame. “You have no idea how much this all means to me.”

“Keh. I can guess. If it means half as much to you as it does to me... Well, let's just say not many people are interested in a hanyou, even one with a rich old man like mine.”

“You know that doesn't matter to me,” she said with a lopsided smile. “Most people wouldn't give their blood for a doll.” She took a deep breath and struggled to sit up, Inuyasha gently bracing her so she could. Using a spare cloth and the last of the water, he carefully wiped her clean of the blood left on her skin, wincing each time she whimpered at a touch. The “tattoo" aqueducts had filled in and faded to the color of a birthmark or henna painting. Inuyasha wondered if it would fade completely or always remain. Next, he helped her pull the shirt over her head and down over her body. Kagome gasped and closed her eyes at the touch of the soft fabric over her raw nerves. She groaned as heat flooded her even more acutely than it had before, the fabric brushing against her sensitive nipples. “Oh gods,” she murmured. 

Inuyasha closed his eyes, his nose savoring the scent of her very real, and very alive, arousal in the air. He felt himself harden almost immediately and he fought not to react to it. Kagome was still tender, her senses too new and raw for him to be with her again. That didn't mean his body understood or wanted to listen. “Kagome,” he moaned, gently pressing her hand to his groin. Just the warmth from her soft hand touching him, fingertips flexing against his covered length, made a shiver race through him. He wanted her, badly, and she was already aroused and wet. “I need to leave,” he hissed in direct contradiction of his hips moving against her hand.

“Just be careful,” she murmured in response. He shook his head, denying even the possibility that he could be careful with her. “I'll tell you if something hurts,” she promised, moving to lift the fabric back up. He stopped her when it hit her waist, laying her back on the pallet and moving to the end of it. Trying not to touch her anywhere else, he gently nuzzled and then licked at her core, completely normal and pink now. Inuyasha had to bite his lip to hold back a whimper from the sudden burst of heat that flooded his system, seeing her open and wet for him, tasting her. Kagome moaned softly at his every lick, encouraging him on when he hesitated. “Inuyasha!” Her hands wound themselves through his hair, holding him against her center as he lapped at her, finally slipping his tongue into her. She cried out softly, making him freeze, but she whispered that it felt amazing and he continued.

The taste of her on his tongue and the scent of her in his nose was even stronger encouragement to his own arousal, forcing him to periodically press his hips into the bedding to relieve some of the ache. He kept at Kagome until she came apart under his mouth, thighs tightening against his shoulders and her fingers pulling at his hair. Inuyasha smiled at her as she came down from her high, holding himself above her. Suddenly her hands were on his waistband, yanking it down and pulling him up against her. He'd never felt such desperation from her before and he happily obliged her want. He did, however, restrain himself as he entered her, knowing that despite her need, her body might protest the intrusion. She hissed softly at the stretch of muscles that had never been used before, had not even existed more than an hour before. “Are you alright? Do you want me to stop?” he asked, praying she didn't.

“I never had anything to compare it to,” she admitted in a sheepish whisper. “I never... I never did this when I was alive... the first time.” Inuyasha's eyes widened. He should have asked before. ** _I should never have touched her that first night_ ** **.** But it was far too late now and she had never voiced a single word of protest. “I'm glad it was you and only you,” she said, a blush rising on her cheeks. He couldn't help feeling the same way. Pressing into her heat was one thing, but she was so tight it almost caused him pain. He stopped and remained still every few moments, giving her time to relax and breathe. “It's better now,” she murmured in a daze, “so full.” The words sent a shudder of fire through his veins.

He took his time, truly making love to her in a way he hadn’t done before. He felt like he was joining with her for the first time all over again, the emotions raw and powerful. “Kagome,” he murmured, golden eyes clenched tight. Her soft hand touched his face, opening his eyes to see her smiling up at him, tears threatening to spill over her lashes.

“I want to see the look in your eyes,” she whispered, sending a shudder more powerful than anything he’d felt through his frame. He felt her move under him, hips lifting to meet his as he thrust into her. A whimper left him and he fought to keep his eyes open. Kagome’s soft smile turned into a smirk and he knew she was trying to test his control. ** _Damn is it working!_ ** He tried to beat her at her own game, leaning down to gently lick and suck one overly sensitive nipple. She gasped as her scent rose around him. Her fingers wove themselves into his hair, pulling him up high enough to take his lips fiercely. She even used her teeth, nipping his lower lip and startling a growl out of him. “How do you get even harder?” she breathed against his mouth. Her awed question pulled a groan out of him and he fought to keep himself from losing it before she did.

Inuyasha’s knuckles brushed against her sensitive flesh, a ripple of pleasure moving through her at the touch. They gasped in unison, the way they fit together and the friction between them almost too much. “Kagome, I can’t hold it any longer,” he huffed. She let out a breathy laugh.

“Then don't.”

His hips apparently agreed with her, moving again without his conscious thought. It took very little before he was bursting inside her, the wet heat and grasping of her muscles slamming his eyes closed despite his earlier determination. Somehow his release set off hers, the feeling of her squeezing around him like a vice draining him completely.

They were both gasping for air as they relaxed onto the bedding. Inuyasha found he couldn't retreat from her depths, panicking a moment in fear that he was crushing her. After a breath his instinct kicked in and he rolled them over so she lay atop him instead. “Oh,” she breathed against his chest. It was definitely not a sound of pain. He pulsed in response. “Inu…” she murmured sleepily.

“Yea?”

“Can we stay like this forever?”

A smile kicked up one side of his mouth. “Yea.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Kagome stood, shyly looking at her folded hands as the taller inuyoukai circled her. She felt him lean over her as he blatantly sniffed her. She pinched her eyes closed as his breath ruffled her hair. A deep growl in concert with rising youki came from the other side of the room. A chuckle and a soft rumble that wasn't directed at her made her jump.

Inuyasha scowled at his father, wanting to put himself between him and Kagome, yet knowing his sire was only curious. “I am… Speechless, honestly. How are you feeling, Miss Kagome?”

“Alright, mostly. A little overwhelmed.”

“Hm. Understandable,” he murmured, noting the way she flinched at his louder question. “Why don't you go lie down, my dear. I'm sure you could use the rest.” He watched her seek out his son for reassurance and permission before nodding and heading toward Inuyasha's room. The two silver-headed males waited until they heard the door close behind her. “Pup, I am amazed. Your research…”

“Paid off. Other than the tattoo that was there before, you'd never know she was ever a Doll.” Inuyasha smiled. “Pop, I'm… thank you for trusting me.”

“Inuyasha, you have proven that your instincts are strong.” Toga looked after the young woman who had just regained her life. “A little too strong, perhaps?” he teased, tapping his nose with a grin. Inuyasha flushed in embarrassment. “Ah, my boy. I envy you this honeymoon period.”

“D-Dad!” His cheeks flamed. “It's just… her scent… I tried to leave.”

Toga's smile became wistful. “I know the feeling.”

“Keh.”

“I am sorry I was not here when the attack happened. The village…” Inuyasha waved off his apology. He well understood his father’s duties to the people of his territory. “Your mother would be so proud.” Inuyasha looked up at the praise, a little stunned. “You knew there was more to this than just creating the Dolls and you didn't give up. If she had met Kagome, your mother might have changed how she felt.” Toga sensed his son’s disquiet but knew better than to press him to reveal anything right away. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, the inuhanyou finally looked up.

“What if we tried to get her back?” he whispered.

“What?”

Inuyasha squared his shoulders and took a breath. “What if we tried to get Mom back?”

“No. I won’t do that to her.” Inuyasha balked. “Your mother believed that reincarnation was important for a soul to grow, to reach its full potential. I could not steal that chance from her. When the time comes, we will find one another again.”

“When you die, you mean,” his son snarled. “What if she hasn’t been reincarnated yet? What if she’s been waiting for you. It’s only been a few years…”

“No,” Toga responded more firmly. He wilted after a moment. “Inuyasha, you came upon Kagome by accident. A beautiful, lucky, accident. Your mother and I met in much the same way. If we are meant to be together again, we will be.”

Understanding dawned on Inuyasha. “You’re worried you’re not soulmates.” His father’s golden eyes, so like his own, turned down. “Pop…”

“Treasure your time with Kagome. The beginning is always the sweetest.” Toga turned and left, leaving his son to ponder a moment before he went to curl around Kagome in bed. He couldn’t stop taking in her scent, feeling her warmth all along his frame as she snuggled into his side. ** _I have to protect her,_ ** he thought. ** _I know now that we are definitely meant to be together. How do I keep her by my side?_ **

~~~~~~~~~~

Ruby eyes stared down on the ocean, the wind whipping the tears from them. Hopelessness. Helplessness. She was a puppet, a pawn, and she had almost brought death and destruction to the family of the man she loved. To the man himself. “Kagura.” She flinched at his call of her name. He stood at the other end of the roof, the same wind catching his silver hair and sending it snapping like a flag. “Why are you up here?” he questioned as he approached her. His effortless grace made her smile wistfully. “You have been quiet these last days. I find myself concerned.”

The urge to tell him everything, to confess, was strong. Her fear for her life was stronger. _ Damn that bastard. _ His hold on her was too hard to break on her own, and while Sesshoumaru might have an answer, she feared putting him in even greater danger. “There was so much going on inside, I felt a break was necessary. What was all the racket about anyway?” She could only hope he didn’t question why she hadn’t noticed the swarm of lesser youkai attacking less than a mile from the keep.

“Hn. Naraku appears to have not lost total interest in the Doll. He tried to take her from my brother, not realizing the bond they already share.” The taller inuyoukai loomed over her in that unintentionally intimidating way he had. “It would seem that they have discovered the secret to transforming her into a living human.”

His nonchalant delivery of such a huge discovery meant it took a few moments for Kagura to fully comprehend what he was saying. “Wait… What?! Kagome is…”

“I believe the ‘racket’ you were referring to was Inuyasha and the monk being noisy. I have not yet set eyes on her again myself, but based on their response, I have to assume that it is so.”

“I can’t believe… They really did it?” There was only a faint affirmative grunt in response. Sometimes, Kagura appreciated his quiet reserve. This was not one of those times. “How?”

“I am unclear on the details, but it would appear that his blood was required and that they be soulmates.”

Kagura contemplated this information for a moment. “Soulmates… So even if Naraku had gotten his hands on her again, he wouldn’t be able to do what your brother did.” Sesshoumaru simply stared at her until she felt it necessary to fill the emptiness between them with words. “I don’t know what purpose a live human would serve him, but you know he would try, given the opportunity.”

“Kagura, why is it that you have been avoiding me?” Caught by the off-topic and pointed question, the wind youkai didn’t immediately know how to reply. The lies wouldn’t come under the intensity of his golden gaze and the truth was frozen behind the thin wall of self-preservation. He further crushed her resolve when he took hold of her chin, lifting her ruby eyes to meet his gold. “What was your true purpose in coming here?” he finally asked.

"T-to be with you." While it was partially the truth, she could tell the moment he sensed the lie. "Please, my lord, do not ask."

"Will he kill you for telling me the truth?" Her silence was telling enough that he need not ask. "Bonding you would erase his connection to you and the control he has, would it not?" Kagura could do nothing but suck in a startled breath. "Tell me only this. Do you love this Sesshoumaru?"

Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. "If I must die, let it be in your arms by your hand so that at least I go with love in my heart."

"Kagura…" There was no pity in his tone, but she knew how pathetic she was. A growl rumbled in his chest before he pushed her front up against the nearest wall. Kagura closed her eyes, prepared for her death. _ At least he will be merciful _, she thought. Sesshoumaru was honorable enough not to drag it out and make her suffer. He bared her neck and the wind youkai braced herself, only for him to brazenly dig into the folds of her kimono and press his fingers into her heat. "I do not delight in harming you, but the mark will require I puncture this smooth skin," he explained while brushing his nose along the yoke of her shoulders. "Will you accept my mark, my bond?"

"Yes. Yes, Sesshoumaru," she gasped, which he rewarded with a flick of his thumb over her button. She writhed in his arms while he brought her closer to the edge. Just before she fell, his hands let go long enough to free himself from his breeches and lift her bottom up to his hips. He entered her heat and her shoulder at the same moment, her body arching to meet his with a silent scream shaping her mouth. The rough treatment sent her flying over the edge, only his hands at her hips and the wall at her front keeping her from collapsing. His thrusts were brutal but efficient and he very soon joined her. Kagura gasped for breath as the wind continued to pull at her hair, whipping their clothing around them.

“It will rain soon,” he murmured against her neck, licking and then kissing the spot where he had made his mark on her. “I will take you to my chambers where you can properly mark me in return, then you _ will _ tell me everything.”

“Of course.” She felt his weight shift and he released her only long enough to gather her into his arms. The strength and warmth of him flooded her more potently than before, as if she was finally able to feel. _ Maybe I’m more like the Dolls than I wanted to believe. _ Before hopping down from the roof onto the balcony below, the inuyoukai brought her lips to his own. It was a far gentler kiss than any they had shared in the past. Kagura felt tears come to her eyes again. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Hn. Sharing this lifetime with you will never be boring,” he paused to look into her eyes more intensely. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost put "character death" in the beginning notes or the summary just to see if people would lose it, but decided on the kinder approach. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Getting a little bit of the other Inus in this and the coming chapters. Feel free to drop a review or a kudos if you feel like it! <3


	7. Light and Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshoumaru interrogates his new mate while Kagome is trying to figure out this "being alive" thing.

Kagura lay bare on her mate’s futon as he loomed over her. He had asked her to tell him the truth and that had included every mark Naraku had ever made on her. That apparently meant stripping her down and looking for any remnant of previous injury. Given her youkai blood, there was not a blemish, bruise or bump left, but that didn’t mean the tall inuyoukai wasn’t going to make sure. “He has only sought power over the weak up until now. What changed?” he rumbled.

“There was a book he got a hold of. Some story of an ancient priestess and a jewel that supposedly granted infinite power to youkai.” He didn’t take his eyes off of her stomach and hips, still searching for any sign of recent abuse to her skin. “I think he wants to take over more territory. Maybe all of it.” That did perk his attention to her face.

“All of it? As in all of Spain?”

“I think he wants the whole world.” Sesshoumaru scoffed. No single being could rule the entire world. There were too many youkai left to allow for a lone youkai or human to rise to that kind of power unchecked. “He really seems to think that this rock will give him the strength to do that.”

“What does that have to do with the girl?” His lips and tongue traced the curve of her ribs, his nose seeking any sign of another touching her. “Other than having a particularly intact soul, there’s nothing special about her.”

Kagura shrugged. “I wasn’t allowed to know everything. I was just supposed to watch her for signs of spiritual power. That… that was why he sent the horde of youkai.”

“To see if power would manifest in her defense. Killing my brother in the process would likely have been just a convenient coincidence.” Shame filled Kagura’s eyes. “I understand why you could not tell me directly. It is good that you hinted that I needed some ‘fresh air,’ was it?” He gave her a rare smirk before nuzzling her ear. “I always knew you were clever.”

She sucked in a sharp breath when he licked the mark he’d given her only hours ago. Her mark at his collar lay just barely out of the reach of her lips, but another nip of his fangs left her nearly boneless under him. “Sesshoumaru,” she breathed.

“Yes?” She could hear the tiniest tinge of teasing in his tone. “What is it, Mate? What would you have me do?” Kagura groaned in exasperation. He was only this talkative when he felt at ease, and apparently taunting her put him in a good mood. His claws gently traced the line of her body from her thighs to just under her breast, tantalizingly close. She bit back a whimper when he refused to touch where she craved his fingers. He quickly made up for it by using his mouth instead, hot tongue lashing her pert nipple before he gently nipped it with his teeth. She barely swallowed a squeal, a strangled sound leaving her throat instead. “A sensitive spot today, I see,” he murmured. He seemed to be cataloging her weakest points more carefully than ever before. It was certainly not the first time he had made her feel so completely vulnerable, but he was much more intentional about it.

“That isn’t fair,” she sighed. He let out a faint huff of a laugh, the most she’d ever heard, then dove in to kiss her fiercely. His lips would have bruised were he not tempering his strength, no matter that she was youkai as well. Claw tipped fingers circled her wrists, bringing them above her head as he continued to kiss her breathless. “Sesshoumaru…”

A gentle bite to her neck silenced her halfhearted protest to him restraining her, a lick of approval making it clear that he appreciated her allowing him this. Despite his definitive strength advantage, he had always acknowledged that she allowed him to dominate her. Kagura had given him permission to direct her, to move and mold her how he wanted, in exchange for the intensity of feeling he gave her in return. Today was made all the more intense for the marks they each now bore, the connection of their souls on a plane she didn’t understand.

It reminded her once again how like the Soul Dolls she was.

Until Sesshomaru entered Naraku’s manor several years before, she had felt like her entire world was flat, colorless. Her days were monotonous at best, horribly painful at their worst. Naraku took a lot of his irritation - feelings of impotence - out on her, no matter the root cause. When Sesshoumaru started negotiating the trades between the inuyoukai territory and Naraku, much of her outlook changed. There was color, scents, sounds she never noticed before. There were moments of  _ beauty _ in her life when she saw him. At the same time, it was somehow more painful. Her chest felt more empty, feeling the shackles of Naraku’s control all the more acutely. His greedy hands on her, no matter the context, made her skin crawl and her stomach turn. Before Sesshoumaru arrived, she had hardly noticed except the pain.

“You are distracted from this Sesshoumaru’s attentions. What pains you?” He slowly released her hands, fingers tracing down the soft skin along the insides of her elbows. Kagura couldn’t help the faint giggle that left her at the tickling caress.

“I just… I keep thinking that I might as well have been a doll.” His head tilted slightly in confusion. Kagura allowed a soft smirk to her lips at the innocent gesture on such a mature, stoic man. “I don’t feel like I  _ lived _ until I met you and my heart was locked up until you broke the bindings on it when you marked me earlier. My chest doesn’t feel empty anymore.” His contemplative look was hard to distinguish from his usual facial expression, but Kagura felt she knew him well enough at this point to notice it.

“You make a good point. Perhaps, though, it is not that your heart is suddenly there when it was not.” The inuyoukai allowed the tiniest of smiles to his lips as he leaned down to kiss her. “Perhaps it is that your heart is free and finally full of love,” he whispered for her alone. Were they not so intimately pressed together, she would never have heard him. Kagura couldn’t resist pulling him into her with a hand at his nape, fingers buried in his thick silver hair, tongue swiping his lip with a confidence she rarely showed. He growled into her mouth but gave her the room to be in control. Kagura used a bit of her wind energy to add to her strength as she pushed to flip Sesshoumaru onto his back. He huffed in response, but couldn’t hide the amusement in his eyes. “Taking the reigns, are we,” he teased her, hands gripping her hips as she shifted against him. His little hiss in response to her heat moving over his belied his calm tone.

Kagura didn’t let him continue to think he was in control, taking hold of him and not hesitating to take him into herself. Slick velvet accepted his stiff heat without a pause to adjust, too eager to show how much his words had affected her.  ** _Love_ ** . Twice now he had used the word without a single doubt showing on his face. It was not a word they had used before, nor one he likely used without very sound reason. Kagura started with slow movements, purposefully bowing her back so that her hips pressed down into him. His lids blinking more quickly let her know it was affecting him more than usual, but not enough. She reversed the direction of her hips, putting an extra sway in her back which angled her hips on the upward stroke and had him flexing inside her immediately. He growled as a shudder took him, large hands tightening on her hips to help support her gradually increasing pace.

It took less time than usual to bring him to the edge, his teeth bared and the tendons in his neck strained as he fought to hold out. He didn’t typically like to be at her mercy. She wasn’t giving him the choice. “I love you,” she whispered as she continued to move over him, using the control she had of her muscles to wring a gasp from him during a downstroke. His snarl was almost as ferocious at the way he gripped her hips, pounding used to meet her downward movements. Kagura whined as his release washed over him, bringing her with him because of the pulses within her.

Their tautly strained muscles slowly relaxed until they collapsed together onto the futon like puppets with their strings cut. Kagura draped herself over Sesshoumaru's side, hand splayed on his chest as they both tried to catch their breath. "Mm. Remind this one to let you be in charge more often," he said, a ghost of a chuckle in his voice. Kagura huffed a laugh. "This Sesshoumaru will say this only once." The wind youkai's brow lifted in question until he whispered the words she never thought she would hear from him directly into her pointed ear.  _ As long as you continue to show it, I don't care if I never hear it again. _

* * *

It took several days of adjustment before she could really go outside. The light was too much on her photoreceptors and it gave her headaches. Inuyasha kept her partially insulated from sound as well, squirreling her away in his room so she wasn't overwhelmed by all the sensory input. “I really don't think my hearing was this good before,” Kagome muttered, an arm over her eyes as she lay on his - their, she supposed - bed. She could imagine his ears twitching to catch what she said while he lounged in the window.

“Miroku thinks it's…”

“My brain, I know. But seriously, Yash, I can hear your heartbeat from here. That's not normal for a human. I can smell that you put that orange in your jacket pocket when I mentioned how juicy it looked.” She heard his soft steps across the rug-covered wood floor, felt his weight dip the mattress at her side.

“Could… could it be because of my blood?” he asked, his voice a nervous whisper.

It made a strange kind of sense. His make-up was much more than human, his youkai blood far stronger than many full youkai of this time. Who was to say it wouldn't cause changes in her when it had brought her back to life? “More than likely.” She could hear the changes in his heartbeat, a slightly sour note shading his scent. Her arm slid off of her face and she took in the droop of his ears, the way his eyes dulled. He was scared, or sad. “Inuyasha?” Her finger brushed the side of his hand until he curled her smaller one under his.

“I-I already hate that you being here means you're confined to this keep. Powerless. Now you have my demon blood changing you?”

Kagome thought about her response very carefully. “I'm sorry I keep complaining about the sensory overload. It's just… new. I'll get used to it. It's actually pretty awesome to think about, once my system figures itself out.” She paused before addressing his other concerns. “Women have been fighting for equal rights with men for centuries. Unfortunately, that's nothing new. I don't know what it's like out there, but in here, with you? I don't feel trapped.” She squeezed his hand to fully draw his attention. Golden eyes took her in, saw the earnest look on her face. “You set me free from a future as a glorified blow up doll, a sex slave. You freed me from a fake life as an animated mannequin. You have done nothing but give me freedom.” His eyes were wide in his face, awe apparent. “And I don't think of your blood like that. You willingly gave your life’s blood to give me my life back. I can never feel anything but grateful for that.”

Schooling his features once more, he tried for nonchalant. “Keh.”

Kagome laughed before gently tweaking his nose. “I know you better than that, Inuyasha.” He smirked in response as he stretched out beside her, curling her into his chest. “I love you.”

“Yea, me too, Kagome.” They lay in relatively comfortable silence for some time before Kagome started squirming. “What?”

“I just…” She took a deep breath before trying again. “I-Is marriage a thing still?” He tensed for a moment. “Nevermi…”

“It is. Usually for power moves amongst humans. But you mean marriage like it was when… before.” She nodded. “For love?” Another nod. She was hiding her face in his chest, clearly nervous about what he thought. “Youkai bond. Or Mate. It's marriage and then some,” he explained in a shaky whisper. “Inuyoukai mark and bond their mates for life.”

“O-Oh. I see.”

Based on her scent and body language, she didn't see at all. “Mating is forever for us. Knowing that you are my soulmate makes a decision like that very easy to make.” Her chin lifted enough that he could finally catch her gaze. “Your senses, your body, are too new for that kind of experience. It's overwhelming as it is. If you're trying to sift through all the information you're getting right now, bonding will be too much.”

“Then, you want to…”

“More than anything. Just not yet. Not until you're ready.” She flushed prettily. “Once you feel like you are managing your new senses, we’ll talk about it again, ok?” With a firm nod, she burrowed into his chest, pulling his arms tightly around her. Inuyasha chuckled but gladly held her as she fell asleep. He wasn’t tired, but he knew she slept better in close proximity to him, so he would stay while she napped. 

He thought about what she’d asked and tried to reconcile what he understood of marriage as it existed now and what he had read about how it was when Kagome had been born. Couples chose each other, chose marriage, where now fathers essentially sold off their daughters to wealthier men to feed their remaining family and try to see that their daughters were protected. Of course, not every male was as respectful of their woman as an inuyoukai would be. He had heard of women being kept in harems when a lord was wealthy enough, women being kept as nothing more than breeding stock. He fought down a growl at the thought, knowing it would wake Kagome.

He had never liked the system that kept women at the level of prized mares. It was part of why he had studied the legends of Soul Dolls so carefully. His mother had been a proponent of ending the practice and he had agreed with her completely until she died. His father’s grief did things to him that he had never seen before. He had raged, wept, prowled the night in his inu form for weeks, even destroyed part of the castle in his heartbreak. All while his son watched and mourned the only woman who he thought would ever love him. Toga had finally been snapped out of his destructive path by Sesshoumaru in his own larger form, reminding him that he had two sons who still needed his guidance. One night, he had come to Inuyasha’s room, tears in his eyes that he did not hide.

“Inuyasha, I am sorry. I have… Your mother would not want me to turn away from you, from this family.” The inuhanyou had frozen in shock before standing and pulling his father into a rough embrace. It lasted only a moment, but when he backed away, he could see his father felt his forgiveness.

“I understand, Pop.”

Toga sighed. “I honestly hope you never do, my boy. Losing your mate…” He didn’t seem to have the words to explain the depth of emotion he felt. “But you have lost your mother and I will not let you lose your father too.”

“Th-thanks, Pop.”

Seeing the way his mother’s death had brought his father completely to his knees, he had started to feel differently about the concept of Soul Dolls. To bring back the one you loved, to return them to the living, not as an undead monster, but to truly bring them to life… He had searched and searched, gathering all the knowledge he could to try and learn how it might be possible to bring his mother back to his father. In the looking, he had also come to understand so much more about the change in status for women over the last century. No longer free to pursue knowledge for themselves, no longer free to make choices for the paths of their own lives. There were those that thought even allowing a woman to learn to read or write would be too much power. It had taken him down a rabbit hole of research that taught him that this mindset was not new, that humans - mostly males - in power had used the fear of being overrun or brought low by the “other” to further their own agendas. It had been the justification for not allowing education during periods of slavery in any number of countries, of prisoners kept in camps because they were a certain race, of keeping women throughout history pregnant and in the home even if they did not want that life.

Inuyasha tightened his hold on Kagome as she slept peacefully in his arms, burying his nose in her hair. He did not want that life for her. He wanted her to be free as she had been, more even than that. Her memories of that time fascinated him, her knowledge of things he had never even heard of drawing him into ruminations on what they had obviously lost over the course of many wars and the loss of petroleum. There was so much they didn’t know. But Kagome knew. What if others like her could be brought into this time, other strong intelligent women who could stand up? Other honorable men who could teach the world the error of its ways? With their soulmates standing beside them, real change could be made.


	8. Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha finally lets Kagome in on a few secrets. The "research team" decide to take their research findings for a spin.

He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. Kagome loved him, he knew that.  ** _She was a Doll up until a couple weeks ago_ ** , he reminded himself. He had carefully avoided her this time last month, before she had changed. It hadn’t been as difficult because they weren’t sharing a room then. Now, if he disappeared for the night, she would have questions. He had meant to warn her several times that this would happen and yet he never found the right time or the right words. Or the nerve.

They were walking in the smaller rose garden, safe from prying eyes. Inuyasha felt his youki slipping slowly away as night fell completely. “Kagome…” She turned to him with a smile which quickly dropped from her lips when she saw his hair darken before her gaze. He could tell when she noticed his ears had disappeared, the widening of her eyes and the way her mouth fell open telling. “I’m alright,” he forestalled her panic. “This… it happens every new moon.”

“You’re human.” Inuyasha couldn’t help lifting an eyebrow at her statement of the obvious. She stepped up to him, her fingers combing through his hair where his ears would normally be until she found the curves of his human ears with her fingertips. “Does it hurt?” she wondered aloud.

“Not really. Sucks not to have all my normal senses, but as long as I’m not caught somewhere dangerous, it’s just a nuisance.” He smiled at how her nose seemed to twitch in a facsimile of his own hanyou nose as she tried to pick up on his human scent. “Smell different, don’t I?” He laughed, the way she blushed at getting caught scenting him too adorable. He gently explained that all hanyou went through a time of “weakness” though it varied from person to person. “My mother thought it might have something to do with when we’re born.”

“You were born during a new moon?” He nodded. “Logical conclusion.” She got a shrug in response. She was so very tempted to ask more about his mother since he’d been the one to bring her up, but she also knew it was a sensitive subject. Miroku had told her that Izayoi had died a few years ago from a fast growing cancer that even her mate’s strong healing abilities could not save her from. With no “modern” medicine - no chemo, no radiation and no hope of safe surgery - there was nothing any of them could do except watch her die. She’d been too afraid to ask her hanyou about his mother’s life for fear he would shut her out.

“She would have liked you.” Kagome blinked up at him in shock. He smiled a little sadly. “I really wish you could have met her. She was strong, like you, and she was interested in history too.” Kagome sat in awe as Inuyasha quietly told her little tidbits about Izayoi. She still wanted to know more, but that he’d told her what she liked to read, that she loved the rose garden most of all, how she used to sing him to sleep out there when he was very small… These were precious memories to him and she felt so fortunate that he’d chosen to share them with her.

“Thank you, for telling me about her. I think I would have liked her very much.” His violet-grey eyes shone in the light from the torches. Kagome leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder when he wrapped his arm around her hers, pulling her into his side. “My father died when I was little. My brother was only a baby.” It felt right to tell him about her family, to speak of something that was a little painful but felt good to share. “I really only remember the way his hugs felt and the smell of his aftershave.” Kagome frowned. His face had started to fade from her memory around the time she hit high school, relying on pictures to remember his smile.

“Those are the kinds of memories that really stick. Smells bring back whole memories in a way that no other sense can,” he murmured. “That’s part of why I like coming here on my human night. The roses smell so strongly, and it always makes me think of what it felt like to be safe in her arms.”

“That's wonderful. I… my mother gave the best hugs. Especially when I was sick, or hurt. It was the only place I wanted to be.” She turned toward him, looking into the eyes that, no matter the color, represented home. “Now, this is the only place I want to be,” she whispered, pulling both his arms around her and tucking her head under his chin.

“Kagome,” he sighed, content in that moment. She had not been weirded out by him being human, she’d easily accepted him talking about his mother.  ** _I’m such a lucky bastard_ ** , he thought with a small grin. 

* * *

They had all the components they needed. The machine, the spells required, even the sculptor for the doll’s form. They had not yet agreed to try it. Knowing they would be responsible for trapping a soul in a form that was not living, not knowing if they would be able to keep them there long enough to find their soulmate, they hesitated to go forward. Having read the book which had led them to what they needed to bring Kagome to life, Kagome insisted that the soul called would be pulled in only if their soulmate was near. Inuyasha argued that there was no way Naraku could have so many people’s souls trapped if that were the case. “That bastard has at least twelve dolls, last we knew. How are they all there?” Kagome tried to think of the dolls that had faded while she was there, if there had been anyone who left. She wasn’t sure of the comings and goings of Naraku’s guests or his servants, but it made sense that with so many others moving around the manor, there could be at least that many matches. “Then how do they not find each other?” he challenged. “We were drawn to each other immediately.” His slight blush made her smile.

“Think of how afraid most of those people are of Naraku. How terrified and powerless the Dolls are. You were never afraid of him, or defying his ownership of the dolls in his house. I doubt any of them would get close enough, no matter how they might feel drawn to one another.”

While he conceded her argument, he still worried about “pulling the trigger” as Kagome referred to it. If they made a mistake… “How will we know who their mate is?”

“Kissing booth?” Kagome said with a shrug. Inuyasha growled at the suggestion. She laughed and moved toward him to run her fingers through his hair. He watched her scent him, something she’d taken to doing now that she’d mostly gotten used to her increased senses. “Inuyasha, please trust me. If we can make a difference…”

She had finally broken him down and they had convinced Miroku to complete the preparations. They stood by as Miroku triple-checked the spells, the protective barriers and inscriptions on the machine itself. “We’re as ready as we can be,” he finally said. He looked to his hanyou friend, gaining a nod to go ahead. There was a series of huffing noises as the steam built up to get the machine going, electricity snapping to life. Kagome clung to his arm, watching in a mixture of fascination and a kind of distant horror.  ** _She’s thinking about what it was like when she was brought here._ ** He laced his fingers through hers and gave a light squeeze. Because of her own experience, Kagome had insisted that the doll’s form be draped with a sheet to protect their modesty, to lessen the shock if the soul did arrive.

Kagome felt when the soul entered the room, the feeling of static along her spine making her stiffen. She couldn’t see it, per se, but she could sense where it was. It seemed to circle the space a few times before settling into the chest of the doll on the table. She held her breath as the face began to form, feminine features morphing to fit that of the soul. A sharp chin, fine lips, pert nose and almond shaped eyes with dark lashes. The hair became dark and long, bangs cut straight across. Kagome glanced up at Inuyasha who was holding his breath. She could sense his unease, but did not know the reason behind it. When the doll’s eyes fluttered open, Miroku stepped back and allowed Kagome close instead. They had all decided that she would be the best liaison for a new doll, especially a female one.

“Hello. I know this is probably frightening for you. You are safe here.” Her voice was soft and the doll’s eyes blinked several times, taking her in with magenta irises. “You may not be able to move… Oh!” she gasped when a hand gripped her shirt. “That’s great! Do you remember anything? Your name?”

There was a slightly garbled noise that came from the doll’s mouth before she was able to murmur something that sounded like a response. Kagome’s improved hearing made it audible to her, but not the two men who were further away. “What did she say?” came Inuyasha’s gruff voice. The tension in him was obvious.

“Sango. She said her name is Sango.” Kagome’s bright smile faded as Inuyasha’s shoulders slumped and he turned away. He mumbled something about privacy to dress and left. She wanted to go after him, but remained at Sango’s side as the doll acclimated to her body. “Take it easy. I have clothing ready for you when you’re ready to sit up.” Glancing over her shoulder at the monk still standing in awe behind her. “Miroku?” he flinched at the sound of his name and took a hesitant step forward. Kagome quirked her head at his odd behavior.

“M-miss Sango, it is a great pleasure to meet you.” He stammered a little as he began explaining what was going on in more detail, letting her know that their intention was not to trap her here in this body, but to return her to life as soon as her soulmate could be identified. “Kagome here was like you, not long ago. Inuyasha is her soulmate and was able to bring her back to life.” Sango’s eyes shot to her face, obviously searching for sincerity.

“He’s telling the truth. I can explain the specifics to you a little more later. They’re kind of… personal. For now, let’s get you dressed and let you get used to moving in that body. It’s kind of awkward at first,” she told her with a slight smile. Miroku obligingly turned his back as Kagome helped Sango into a slip, shirt and long skirt. It took a little while before Sango felt steady enough to try standing. Sliding off the side of the table, she gingerly put her feet on the floor.

“Can’t... feel anything.”

“I know. It kind of stinks. You’ll get used to it. Hopefully not for long though,” Kagome responded with a lopsided grin. “Take it slow. No rush.”

Sango proved to be a bit impatient to be under her own power and tried to stand. She was slightly taller than Kagome and sturdier, so when she almost pitched forward, Kagome wasn’t able to hang onto her. Miroku lunged and caught her around the waist, bracing her up until her feet were under her again. “Th-thank you,” she murmured. Kagome watched as the pair finally made eye contact and Sango’s fingertips brushed the skin at Miroku’s throat left bare by his open collar. Both of them jumped while Miroku drew in a startled breath, pupils blowing wide, before taking a step back. “What…” Kagome only smiled knowingly.

While she wanted to give the two privacy to potentially figure it out on their own, she knew that Sango was too bewildered to truly understand anything right now. She gently offered to help Sango to the room that would be hers for the time being. The doll was silent as they walked, the nervous presence at their back likely making her feel the same. When they reached the door, Kagome shooed Miroku off and led Sango in, pointing out where the bathroom (which she would have no real need of right now) and the closet were. “I copied some of the texts that we had translated that talk about what happened, why dolls exist, and what we do to change.”

“You truly were like this?” Kagome nodded. “And you… found that other man.”

“Well, we kind of found each other. The souls that are pulled to the dolls, I think it’s only if the soul’s mate is near enough. Inuyasha was in the manor where I was… I’m sorry, we haven’t come up with a good term yet.” Kagome sat with Sango, learning about her life. Sango had died approximately a hundred and twenty-five years before, in the midst of the wars just before everything began reverting to the almost feudal system now in effect. She was unfazed by the lack of the technologies Kagome was accustomed to, as many of the more advanced computing devices had been rendered useless by the repeated use of electromagnetic pulse weapons which knocked out the internet, satellites and even the phone systems.

“By the time I was in my twenties, no one had used an actual phone in years.”

“How old were you?” Kagome asked.

“When I… Twenty-nine. I don’t remember exactly what happened,” she said, placing a hand to her forehead in concentration. “My father, my brother, they were trying to protect me from…” She shook her head both in grief and frustration. “I don’t know. Something. Someone.”

Kagome placed a gentle hand on Sango’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I was in a car wreck. I hadn’t seen my family for some time, since I was at school.” Sango gave her a sympathetic look, then started asking her about going to school. She’d only gotten a high school education from her mother and father, as it was no longer allowed for women to go on to secondary education. “I just don’t understand how it got like this.” The doll shook her head, clearly at a loss as well. “You should rest. I’ll come back in a few hours to check on you, alright?” Sango nodded gratefully. Kagome let her know that she was welcome to leave her room, but that it might be best to stay put until she had a chance to explore with someone else. “I still get turned around and I’ve been here several months.”

“How is she?” Inuyasha asked softly when she opened the door to their room. Kagome nodded, making a so-so motion. “She remember anything more than her name?” Kagome relayed what Sango had told her about her life. “Probably trying to protect her from Matchmakers, given the time.” At Kagome’s confused look, he uttered a soft “keh” and pulled her into the oversized armchair they kept by the window. Curled into his lap, she sighed in contentment to have him wrapped around her. Warmth. Safety. She settled into the feeling and twined their fingers together. “Matchmakers were like bounty hunters, but for women of childbearing age. Men who couldn’t find an eligible woman on their own would pay those bastards to kidnap them.” Kagome gasped in outrage. “That’s when women started resorting to suicide instead of letting themselves be taken against their will.”

“S-Sango said she doesn’t remember what happened. Do you think…” Inuyasha shrugged, conceding the possibility. “I hope she never remembers then.” She paused, her face changing to show how smug she felt. “I think I was right, about the souls going to where their mate is. Pretty sure Miroku’s the guy.”

Inuyasha blustered a moment. “Miroku? That pervert?” She nodded and explained the interaction she’d been privy to. Both easily recalled the first moment they’d touched. It was hard not to conclude that the monk and new doll likely had a similar experience. “Keh. I hope she doesn’t mind having her ass grabbed at any time.”

“He does not!”

Inuyasha raised both eyebrows at her as if daring her to prove him wrong. “He never grabbed you because he knew I’d gut him on the spot.”

Kagome gently smacked his chest, an admonishing look in her eyes. It was quickly followed by a soft kiss. “Thank you for protecting my ass,” she teased.

“Tch. It’s mine to grab,” he growled in return, shifting her in his lap so he could put both hands on the roundness of her backside and pull her into his hips. Kagome hissed at the hot ridge that pressed into her heat at this angle. “Kagome, I want you,” he confessed. She smiled, grinding her pelvis into his. “You’re… you’re entering the heat period in your cycle, I can smell it,” he groaned into her neck. She couldn’t tell from his voice if he was disappointed or excited by that fact.

“Ovulating, you mean.” He nodded against her. She had only been through one complete cycle so far. It had been over a month after her change before it seemed her body decided it was going to function normally. “So I could get pregnant.” His hips jerked upward against hers. Again he nodded. “Does that scare you?”

“No. But we’re not mated.” Kagome blinked. Was that a physical or a social requirement? 

He sat back and looked up into her face, the open expression, when she asked exactly that. She wasn’t at all flustered by the idea of him whelping her, simply curious as to the reason for his hesitation. “It’s… social? I guess.” She nodded her head in a thinking gesture, seemingly weighing the choices. “It's a bit more than that, though. When we mate, it connects us, binds our souls together. You would live longer, be more resilient.”

Kagome contemplated that for a moment. He was offering her a lot more than a marriage proposal but, essentially, he was asking her to be his wife. Forever. “Does that scare you more than a baby?” she couldn't help teasing gently. 

He snorted. “Neither one scares me.” His arousal ground into hers more deliberately, large hands keeping her hips pulled down against his. “I want you to wear my mark, my scent. I want to see you round with our pup.” She sucked in a soft breath at his words. “I want to wake up every morning with you in my arms.” She sighed his name. “Is that what you want, Kagome?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?” he paused, looking up into her dark eyes, made darker for the way her pupils had dilated as her desire increased. There was a small smile on her mouth and the love in her gaze was almost tangible. His claw-tipped index finger traced along her left collarbone. “I would have to mark you here. There’s an exchange of blood.”

“Oh good, more blood,” Kagome sighed, jokingly rolling her eyes. “You’ll never recover if you have to keep giving me your blood.” Inuyasha smiled at her despite her teasing.

“If it binds us together, I’d give you anything,” he purred against her throat, nipping the delicate skin there. “Kagome, will you let me mark you?” he breathed, tongue trailing along the spot where his claw had been. She shivered at the warmth of his tongue followed by cool air over wet skin.

“Yes, Inuyasha. Do… Do I need to mark you too?” He leaned back a moment, the heat in his eyes setting her body alight. He traced the collar of his shirt before hauling it over his head and tossing it aside. Head leaned to the side, he smirked at her. 

“Go ahead and try,” he challenged. 

Kagome chewed her lip in thought and slight nerves. The likelihood of her being able to even bruise him with her teeth was almost negligible. She knew his skin was far more difficult to damage and quick to heal, even without his youkai blood heightened. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she said lamely. His raised eyebrow in response made her huff in irritation. He reclaimed control, pulling her into his chest so he could set her senses to tingling with the heat of his tongue on her neck and shoulder, faint nips of his fangs following after. “Inuyasha,” she breathed.

“Mmhmm?” She felt something rising in her she had never felt before in anticipation of him sinking his teeth into her. While it was not a fearful response in and of itself, she felt a sense of fear as it seemed to well up from the center of her being and she had no control over it. In a far off way, she felt herself roughly push Inuyasha’s head aside so she could swipe his shoulder with her own tongue. He let out a faint yelp in surprise. Suddenly her teeth were clamped down on him, in him, and a pinkish light sparked in her vision. “Fuck! Kagome,” Inuyasha hissed. She couldn’t tell in that moment if he was in pain or if it was a pleasured cry. What she did know was that the intensity of the feeling increased when he too bit into her. There was a pulse, as if her whole body was her heartbeat, then her vision went black. Terrified, unable to differentiate the feeling from when she had first heard her heartbeat, only in reverse, Kagome froze. “Kagome. Kagome!”

She could hear his voice, but she couldn’t reply at first. Eventually her lungs decided enough was enough and she gulped in a breath. “Inu…” His arms scooped her up, tucking her into his chest, taking her to the bed to lay down. “Inuyasha.” Her voice was weak, but clear. She heaved for air for a few moments before her vision cleared and she was able to see the worried golden eyes above her. “I’m ok,” she tried to reassure him.

“Like hell you are! Does anything hurt?” She shook her head, though she was still trying to catch her breath. Her eyes scanned him in turn, widening when she saw what looked like angry burned skin at his collarbone. He glanced down at her look and she noted his surprise as well. “Huh. No idea you had spiritual power.”

“What?!” she squeaked. “ _ I _ did that?” Her fingers rose to almost trace where she’d apparently branded him, hands shaking so hard she couldn’t actually touch it.

“Kagome, I’m alright. It doesn’t hurt.” She scowled at him, to which he only rolled his eyes. “I swear. It hurt at first, but now it’s healing so it just kind of itches. What about you? Does this hurt?” The pads of his fingers met where his teeth had been and instantly set off sparks throughout her body. “Shit. Kagome?”

Her pupils had blown wide at his touch and he feared he’d done her serious injury. Marking wasn’t supposed to be painful! Her scent hit him a moment later, his nostrils flaring in response.  ** _Oh_ ** . Inuyasha’s eyelids dropped to half-mast as he took in the scent of his mate. 

There was a… roundness to her scent that came with fertility. The warmth that signaled her arousal was deeper somehow, pulling at his instincts in a very primal way. By no means would he fall into his youkai because of it, but he could definitely feel how his body wanted to fulfill what it perceived hers was demanding. At the same time, he remembered what he had sworn he wouldn’t do to her. “Kagome, we… we have to wait.” She looked up at him quizzically, the arousal in her eyes still apparent. “You only just got your life back. We haven’t even been together six months. Mated, we have decades left to have pups. There’s no rush.”

“You  _ are _ afraid of a baby,” she accused gently.

Inuyasha shook his head. “I don’t want you to regret your choices.”

Kagome contemplated him for several minutes. “How many kids did you imagine yourself having?” Her question caught him off guard.

“I honestly never thought I would.” He sensed how her entire demeanor changed, sinking into herself. He rushed to explain. “Not because I didn’t want them, but because no one would want them with me.” His mate studied him seriously, looking for a lie, for a hint of what he wasn’t saying.

“I want them with you.” Kagome watched his face soften. “If we have decades to have children, we could end up with a lot of kids, Inuyasha. Unless that isn’t what you want.” She realized he was still trying to get used to the idea that it was truly a possibility to have one, let alone multiple. “I’m not opposed to waiting. I not opposed to  _ not _ waiting. We belong together. The amount of time we’ve been together so far doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to be ‘barefoot and pregnant’ for most of your life,” he whispered, as though afraid even saying it might make her disbelieve his sincerity.

Kagome couldn’t help giggling a little. She understood his concern better, now that he’d said that. He was worried about keeping her “trapped” like many women throughout history who had neither the resources nor knowledge to choose when to have children, or when to leave. “I told you, Inuyasha. I love you. I don’t feel trapped here with you. I want a family with you. Now, tomorrow, ten years from now…” She paused. “Ok, maybe not ten years from now. I don’t want to wait  _ that _ long.” And she was sincere. While there was part of her that didn’t want to wait, she understood, appreciated and respected his caution. “How about this: we plan to wait another year, but other than being aware, we let nature take its course.”

“So if it happens…”

“It happens,” she finished for him. “I want to have your children, Inuyasha. Don’t doubt that for a minute. But I like the idea of having you all to myself for a while too.” The inuhanyou couldn’t help smirking at her. He took the time to show her just how much he enjoyed having her to himself without risking parenthood just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this might be one of the only chapters so far that doesn't have smut in it. XD  
Don't worry, there's more coming. *smirk*


	9. Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crashing, lapping, ebbing, surging. Waves are ever moving, changing. There is movement for the band of humans, youkai and a Soul Doll within the keep, but it might be one step forward, two steps back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Slight mention of physical abuse; Grief/loss

She’d never seen the ocean before. It was… awesome. The true meaning of the word, not the slang. Sango stood on the outer wall, simply watching the waves, the surf, the wind whipping froth into the air with a pensive look. She knew she should feel chilled, but didn’t. She couldn’t even feel the moisture in the air. There were so many sensations that her mind knew she should feel, or sometimes she could almost trick herself into thinking she  _ was _ feeling, that just didn’t… exist for her.

Sango leaned on the stone at her front, looking out over the water and the shoreline below. It seemed barren at first glance, but if she focused, she could see the little signs of life peeking out. Birds flying in and out of hidden nests, shells strewn across the craggy surfaces where they had been dropped to get at the treasures inside. If you squinted, you could just barely see the algae along what must be the height of the tide, remaining just damp enough to thrive without being washed away. Everywhere else there was life.  _ Just not in me. _

“I’ve never learned to swim. Probably an oversight on my part.” She turned at the sound of the voice, but felt no surprise. The shady monk had been at the edge of her awareness off and on for days. He seemed afraid of her or… something.  _ Wary. Ever since we touched that first time, he’s been avoiding me but not.  _ Sango nodded to him in greeting. “Miss Sango…”

“Just Sango is fine.” Miroku smiled despite feeling awkward with her short tone. “Have you lived here your whole life?” she asked, surprising him.

He stepped up to lean on the parapet beside her. “Uh. No. Just the last ten years or so. My father died when I was very young, left me with the monastery. I don’t know what became of my mother. I never knew her.”

Genuine sympathy lit her eyes. “I’m sorry.” He shrugged. It was an old hurt, long since dealt with and grown from. “How did you…”

“Meet Inuyasha?” She nodded. “He saved my life, to be honest. I got myself on the wrong side of a youkai who thought picking his teeth with my bones would be perfect after making a snack out of me.” Sango’s eyes widened slightly. “I was naive and thought I could seal him myself without backup. Lucky for me, Inuyasha was in the area on the hunt for that very beast and took him out before he could sink his very sizeable teeth into my leg.” He chuckled at the slight horror he could perceive on her face. “I have not made a habit of youkai hunting since. Inuyasha insists I’m too much trouble to take along.”

“You do seem more the… intellectual type.”

Miroku feigned hurt. “You think I’m a nerdy weakling!” he sighed dramatically. “Oh, to be so misunderstood.” He caught the slightest of grins on Sango’s lips. Moving closer, he felt the magnetic attraction that Inuyasha had mentioned when speaking of Kagome early on.  ** _Am I… Could I really be her soulmate?_ ** The initial touch indicated that may be the case, but he feared how easily swayed he tended to be by a pretty face. He didn’t completely trust the feeling. “I will have you know that I was, and continue to be, trained as a warrior monk.”

“Oh?” Her interest piqued, Sango settled in to hear of Miroku’s childhood in the Buddhist monastery, where he was trained to fight and seal dangerous youkai from a young age. With innate spiritual power, he was a natural at the sealing part. Less so the fighting and hunting. Sango marveled at the ragged scar that sandwiched his right hand, remnant of a mantis youkai stabbing straight through his palm. She reached for it without thought, taking his larger hand between her own. Warmth against her fingertips almost made her drop it, then the chill of the air around them tickled her senses, distracting her. “I didn’t realize it was so windy up here,” she murmured.

Miroku was still trapped in the feeling of electricity along his nerves, the heat of her touch in contrast with the cooling evening air. “Sango,” he finally breathed. Her magenta eyes lifted to his violet in question. It seemed to have dawned on her what was happening. She almost backed away from him, but he was faster, gently snagging her wrist and pulling her closer. “Did… do you feel that?” She obviously hesitated before nodding. “Miss Kagome, she explained to you what…” A tiny nod. He felt her try to step away and he let her. To a point. “Could I at least kiss you?” he requested. “No more.”

Sango felt her soul fluttering. There was no other way to describe the feeling. She knew that her body, her actual heart, was not capable of feeling excitement, but mentally she felt the equivalent of butterflies in her stomach.  _ Kiss me? That’s really all he wants? _ Is that what she wanted? After another moment, she nodded her assent. She was unprepared for how careful and gentle he would be. Her cheek warmed first as he carefully cupped it in his palm. Then her chest felt the change when he pulled her closer. Finally her lips felt the softest of brushes, his lips ghosting over hers.

She thought that it would be enough to let him kiss her, but quickly found that she didn’t want to give up the warmth his body gave hers. Sango’s hands skimmed his ribs before gripping his back to keep him close. Miroku responded by deepening the kiss, his tongue barely sliding across her lips before slipping into her mouth. Sango didn’t realize she gasped until she had to pull back in order to cough and sputter. She was breathing. Exactly as Kagome warned her might happen. It was just as terrifying as she had imagined, feeling the change in herself, struggling to breathe and all with the underlying newness of knowing that this man was her soulmate. Never in her wildest dreams, as a teenager surrounded by fear and violence, did she think that she would ever actually meet a man who would be her match.

“Sango! Are you alright?” His worried violet eyes took her in, hands hovering over her in an effort to help but unsure how.

“I’m… I’m alright. Just breathing,” she whispered. He gasped softly.

Miroku gulped before standing up straight. His mind had started to run down the path of what would need to be done to bring Sango fully to life. She would not be ready for that with him, not yet. To be honest, he wasn’t exactly ready either. “Let’s get you inside to rest,” he murmured softly instead.

* * *

Kagura woke in a cold sweat. Her head was pounding, heart racing. Her hands felt clammy and she could feel the trail of sweat going down her spine. "Ugh. What..." She sat up, peeling her mate's long arms from around her waist and getting out of bed to go to the open window and breathe some fresh air. She was unsurprised to feel those same long arms around her middle hardly a moment later. "Sesshoumaru?"

"What has you out of bed, Mate?" he intoned. "It is hours before sunrise. You need your rest."

Kagura sighed. It had been almost every night since their mating several weeks before that she had been having the same vague dream where she felt she was being pursued and there was nothing she could do. No matter how fast she ran, how high she flew, she was always barely a step ahead. "I cannot stop him, Love. Still he chases me, tries to regain control. I..."

There was a shift in the youki of the man at her back. He was furious. Kagura bit her lip and braced herself for the burst of anger she expected. It returned to whence it came, however, boiling and bubbling. “We will have to destroy him, then, will we not?” he asked as though commenting on the weather. Kagura loved that he was so ruthless. It also made her a bit terrified. Naraku was not one to be trifled with and, while she believed in her mate’s strength, she also knew Naraku had backup plans upon backup plans. It was how he’d gained so much of what he had now. “I sense the fear in you, Love,” he purred in her ear. Kagura sucked in a breath at the endearment. It was a rare moment indeed when he expressed something so tender. “Do no fret. Between myself, my brother, and our father, I imagine we have the means to dismantle his little empire. And tear him limb from limb, if necessary.”

“I-It may take at least that to stop him,” she whispered, finally turning into his larger frame and nestling her face against where his heart beat strongly in his chest. She soaked in his warmth, banishing the cold fear of the dream and filling her with love and strength instead. Sesshoumaru would never let Naraku get his claws in her again. He wouldn’t allow it.

“He will fall, Kagura. Do not doubt. He has caused enough suffering. And he will not hurt you again,” he swore, a low growl rising in his chest. Kagura gasped sharply when he dropped to his knees in front of her. She didn’t understand why he would be swearing some kind of oath to her in this manner. Youkai did not engage nor marry in the same way that humans did and she doubted very much that he was proposing to her like from a fairytale.

He pressed the moon marking on his forehead to her bare midriff and it washed over her.

“Sesshoumaru?” His name left her in a shaky whisper. He only puffed a laugh and growled softly in response. “But…”

“You seem surprised that our consistent intimacy resulted in an ever growing bond.”

“Bond… of course not. This is…”

“A pup. Unless wind youkai have another term that I am not aware of.”

Kagura could only blink for a moment. No. She didn’t even  _ know _ any other wind youkai. How would they have a term all their own for… for a baby. “You knew?”

“Hn. For several days. Your scent has been slowly shifting since I marked you. But this week alone…” She could almost feel his faint smile against her skin. Something else he never did in front of anyone but her. “It speaks of life, Love. If for no other reason, this is why Naraku must be destroyed. So that he never lays eyes on this life. So he can never dream of controlling the life we have created.”

There were tears in her eyes and she watched them slowly fall into the head of silver hair at her navel. He clutched her a little tighter, giving her the dignity of not staring at her as she cried. “Thank you.” Kagura let her fingers thread through his long hair at the crown of his head, keeping him close as they breathed together and she calmed her racing heart, finally able to take a full breath. 

The wind slipped in through the window and swept away the light moisture left on her cheeks, a comforting touch. She had often felt as though the wind listened to her throughout her life. Especially in times of great pain and despair, when Naraku had left her particularly bruised or bloodied after expressing his ire that he was still so inconsequential compared to other youkai lords. The wind had caressed her then, cooled her hot skin as she healed from his blows. Tonight she felt as though it was more clearly telling her it was a friend and that it was on her side. Kagura smiled. She would need all the allies she could get.

* * *

Touga sighed. It was no small joy to have the keep full of life again. Between his sons and his practically adopted son all finding - though not entirely convincing in the case of Miroku - their soulmates, it was fairly lively. Sesshoumaru and Kagura were often in their own quarters, but his eldest had made it clear that he had plans to deal with their common enemy, plans that would include everyone once he had something mapped out. Miroku had been trying to give Sango her space while simultaneously following her around like a lost puppy. Inuyasha and Kagome were often in the study and the library, pouring through books and scrolls, looking for more clues, more information now that they had unlocked the main secret to the Dolls’ existence. Tales and reports that had seemed irrelevant before suddenly held snippets of information that they had never considered to be helpful because they didn’t have the key ingredient to bringing the Dolls to life.   
Kagome’s theory that the souls called in by the machine would only be attracted by the proximity of their soulmate seemed to hold true in the limited examples they had. Sango was breathing and she, like Kagome had, was slowly beginning to look less like a well articulated figurine and more like a human woman. Touga imagined that her skepticism of Miroku being her soulmate was slowing the process a bit in comparison with Inuyasha and Kagome, but the fact remained that slowly, but surely, she too was becoming more alive. It would likely hit a point when she would no longer be able to deny the reality and she would finally join the living as well.

“I am happy for them all, My Love,” he murmured to the clouds passing low over the ocean. It was a gray day, the beginning of a storm blowing in over the waves. It was bittersweet for him. The color reminded him of Izayoi’s eyes. A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky in the distance. “Hello,” he whispered. “I wondered if you would visit me today.” The way the fine hairs on his arms went up with the electricity in the air reminded him of her touch. “Our sons are growing up, Izayoi. They are becoming fine men and they have found their partners. Our boy… our boy has found his match. She is everything you would have hoped for him.” He smiled a little sadly. “Am I wrong about what you would want? Inuyasha seems to think that he could bring you back to me. But… What if he’s wrong?” he breathed into the wind.

A strong gust flipped his hair into his face and a roll of thunder echoed just above the crashing of the waves below him. Were he a more superstitious man, he might believe his mate was scolding him for doubting their son.

A tiny doubt did rise. But in his own belief. What if they could be together again? Was he causing them both unnecessary pain by not trying? Was he risking never seeing her again by resisting the miracle his son and new daughter-in-law had shown him was possible?

Still the doubt that she was truly his soulmate… that the wonderful, kind, openhearted soul that had been his mate for decades - had borne him a son, had been the center of his world - could truly have been meant for him and not someone far more worthy.

This time the wind that hit him in the face was wet and salty, as though it had dredged it up from the sea itself and slapped him with it. Touga chuckled to himself, wiping his cheek. “I will consider your proposition, My Love,” he said with a wry smile, pushing his hair further from his face. It couldn’t hurt to at least see what it was Kagome and Inuyasha had found in the library. “Knowledge is power.”

The gusts plucking at his hair subsided and seemed to breathe against his cheeks instead. Touga took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Even for him, the signs had been strong today.

* * *

“Inuyasha!”

“What?” he groused, rolling onto his back and letting the book in his hand flop onto his chest. He looked up, staring at her figure perched precariously on one of the bookshelf ladders. Jolting, the inuhanyou kicked his feet over his head and dove for her as the ladder rocked and she swayed. He was able to stabilize the ladder but was too late to keep Kagome from losing her grip and slipping. Inuyasha swore as he reached up to catch her around the waist, hauling her into his arms and lighting on the ground a moment later. “The fuck, Kagome!” he huffed, automatically checking her over and finding a lump on her shin that would likely be a nasty bruise later.

It appeared as though, despite their suspicions otherwise, all Kagome had gained from their bond as far as his abilities was his hearing and sense of smell, and even then it wasn’t to the same degree he possessed. No snap reflexes, no increased strength, and none of his other more amazing abilities, much to her irritation. Thus their issue now. She was one of the clumsiest people Inuyasha had ever encountered and she appeared to have little to no sense of self-preservation. “No need to swear at me,” she pouted, unable to deny that the lump hurt when he pressed on it with his thumb. “I wasn’t  _ that _ off balance…” He scowled at her, dark brows dropping low over simmering amber eyes. “Maybe your ladder is faulty!” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest with a petulant look on her face. Inuyasha sighed and resisted the urge to tell her to sit on the divan and not move from it for the rest of the day. His overprotective instincts were not exactly appreciated.

“I’m going to be a fucking mess whenever you are whelped,” he sighed as he helped her to her feet. Kagome bit her lip to keep from reminding him that he had been a mess about her safety from the moment she’d become human. “What were you doing up there in the geology section anyway?”

“Oh!” She brightened. Sesshoumaru had confided in them that Naraku had it in his head that there was some sort of gem or stone that would grant him immeasurable power and he was bound and determined to find it, no matter the cost. And it was clear that Naraku had no qualms in paying the cost in lives if necessary. She had been looking for any documented instances of people rising to power because of a stone, then decided it might be a misinterpretation of a gem or material that was capable of providing something that had been sorely lacking for centuries. Energy.

If energy could be gained from fossil fuels, essentially decomposed dinosaurs and megaflora, then an unknown element or material could be a “source of power” that no one would have thought of before. Something that was shrouded in enough mystery and speculation to be fodder for legends to rise up all over the world. Kagome was living proof of exactly that phenomenon. Necromancy, golems, Frankenstein’s monster? To some degree, they all held a grain of truth. A truth that they had not understood until centuries later.

Kagome pulled a book on the elements out onto the table nearest where Inuyasha had been stretched out before, paging through it until she found the passage she was looking at before she’d almost broken her neck. “Here, read this,” she muttered, indicating the page for Inuyasha to direct his attention. “See there.” She then pointed to the reference citation, another lead to another book that might have more information about a kind of stone that had been found in a specific canyon that seemed to have strange effects on other items around it. This book didn’t go into any more detail, but she hoped the cited material might. If they could find it. “Meteor maybe.”

“Makes sense,” he replied while skimming the page. “But we don’t know enough about whatever legend he thinks he’s following. He might think there’s an actual jewel.”

“Still. If we can figure out what nonsense he believes, it might tell us what he’s planning. We want to be a step ahead of him, not several steps behind like we have been.”

“You’re too smart, you know that?” he replied with a smirk and a slight shake of his head. “Alright. I’ll take some notes to Kagura and see if anything strikes her as what he’s been talking about.”

Kagome nodded, smiling softly and offering him a kiss before going to put her feet up for a bit. Now that she wasn’t thinking about anything else, her shin really did smart.


End file.
